So, when do all these changes and cuts kick in??

[30andMerkin]

Anyone know how long this stuff takes - will it be next March after the budget, or do things get phased in after a change of govt, or can they enforce changes straight away?

I'm thinking that lots of salaries etc are negotiated on the basis that you will pay X amount of tax and Y amount of NI, which both look set to change a lot, especially around the £35-40k bracket - how quickly can they change the amount of money you get to take home?

Or apply changes to things like Child Support/Tax Credits/Trust Funds....??

Also, am I right in thinking VAT can change quite quickly?

Anyone knowledgeable here who can fill me in?!

There should be an emergency budget within 50 days. Any personal tax changes, personal allowances and tax credit/benefit/pension changes will probably be enacted in April. That's the usual way things work. Exception could be if they change the plan on NI or pensions, that might happen quicker. Duty increases tend to happen immediately - fags, booze, petrol etc. If VAT goes up, they have to give businesses a little notice to get their systems changed. Same applies to stamp duty.

You asked about cuts as well in the title of your post. There's no time-constraint on cuts and some savings could begin immediately. However, if local government or police budgets were to be reduced, for example, the current financial year's numbers would have to be honoured first.