THE Chancellor will today hand workers another £450 tax boost and freeze booze duty until early next year.
In what could be the last Budget before Britain goes to the polls, Jeremy Hunt will double last November’s 2p National Insurance cut — a saving of £900 a year for the average worker.
Peter JordanJeremy Hunt, seen out for a run with his dog, will fire the starting gun on months of election campaigning[/caption]
GettyThe Chancellor will hand workers another £450 tax boost and freeze booze duty until early next year[/caption]
And The Sun can reveal that taxes on beer, wine and spirits that were due to go up in August will now be frozen until February next year in a win for our Save Our Sups campaign.
Fuel duty will also be frozen but it’s bad news for smokers, who face stumping up a record £16 a packet and a new tax on vapes.
Mr Hunt, seen out for a run with his dog yesterday morning, will fire the starting gun on months of election campaigning.
He will use his Commons speech to brand Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer an enemy of business — and steal a number of his policies.
A loophole for mega-rich “non-doms” to not pay some taxes in the UK will be tightened to raise around £3billion for the Treasury.
And a windfall tax on oil and gas giants will be extended until the end of the decade.
Labour have already said they would do the same and earmarked the cash for other projects, leaving a black hole in Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending plans.
The Opposition said they thought the sweeteners meant PM Rishi Sunak was eyeing a May general election — but No10 last night pooh-poohed talk of an early poll.
The Chancellor will, however, disappoint Tory MPs by refusing to slash income tax or unfreeze the thresholds at which its paid.
That is despite Mr Sunak vowing to reduce the base rate to 19 per cent by the end of this Parliament.
And despite the second cut in a few months, it will not stop the tax burden rising to 37 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade.
Mr Hunt will tomorrow tell MPs now is the time to help families with “permanent cuts” to taxation.
He will say: “We do this not just to give help where it is needed in challenging times.
“But because Conservatives know lower tax means higher growth.
“And higher growth means more opportunity and more prosperity.
“But if we want that growth to lead to higher wages and higher living standards for every family in every corner of the country, it cannot come from unlimited migration.
An economy based on sound money does not pass on its bills to the next generation
Jeremy Hunt
“It can only come by building a high wage, high skill economy.”
The NI cut comes after a similar 2p reduction in last year’s Autumn Statement, that was seen in pay packets in January.
Mr Hunt will also paint Labour as the party holding back business with red tape and bureaucracy.
He will say: “They will destroy jobs with 70 new burdens on employers, reduce opportunities by halving new apprenticeships and risk family finances with new spending that pushes up tax.
“Instead of going back to square one, our plans mean more investment, more jobs, more productive public services and lower taxes — sticking to our plan in a Budget for long term growth.”
Mr Hunt will warn the public that a Labour government will increase borrowing to pay for public services — with the huge bill left outstanding for decades to come.
He will say: “An economy based on sound money does not pass on its bills to the next generation.”
Shadow Chancellor Ms Reeves claimed the Budget is the “final chapter” of fourteen years that has left the country worse off.
She said: “The Conservatives promised to fix the nation’s roof, but instead they have smashed the windows, kicked the door in and are now burning the house down.”
Meanwhile experts gave the 2p NI cut a thumbs down, saying it was unlikely to be enough to shift dire poll ratings for the Tories.
But Mark Kent, of the Scotch Whisky Association, hailed the alcohol tax freeze, saying: “Support for Scotch is good for industry, good for the economy and good for consumers who enjoy a dram.”
Budget 2024: Here’s what could be in the red box
Booze
The freeze on alcohol duty, which is due to expire in August, is likely to be extended until 2025.
Hospitality bosses have warned any further hike in the duty on beer, wine and cider would force thousands more pubs to close
National Insurance
A further two percentage points reduction in NICS is expected for 27 million workers, which is worth £450 a year on average.
The change – which follows a two point reduction last November- is likely to come into force next month.
Vapes
Vaping products are currently subject to VAT but, unlike tobacco, they are not also subject to a dedicated levy.
A new duty is expected, which will have higher rates for vaping devices which contain the most nicotine.
Fags
To keep the incentive in place for people who are trying to quit to vape rather than smoke, duty on tobacco will rise yet again – with the price of a packet of cigarettes expected to hit £16.
Fuel Duty
In a boost for hard-pressed drivers, there will be an extension of 5p cut in fuel duty that was first introduced in 2022.
Thanks to The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign, fuel duty has now been frozen for 14 consecutive years.
Non-doms
The rules for non-doms – who live in the UK, but aren’t classed as settled – will be altered or even scrapped, increasing the amount of tax they must pay.
Critics warn the tax raid – worth up to £3.6bn – could lead to the wealthy quitting the UK.
Holiday Lets
As much as £300million could be raised for the Treasury by abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax relief.
The move would be unpopular with second home owners but could help to tackle the shortage of homes to buy in places like Cornwall.
Business flights
Air passenger duty on business class travel is currently charged at £13 for domestic flights, £26 for flights up to 2,000 miles, £191 for flights up to 5,000 miles and £200 for any longer distance.
It is due to rise by a small amount in April – but could see a bigger than expected jump.
Simon Walker / No 10 Downing StreetPM Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty[/caption]