The key points of Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget on 23 March 2011.
INCOME TAX
No personal tax increases
Personal tax allowance to rise a further £630 to £8,015 in April 2012
Consultation on long-term plan to merge income tax and National Insurance
50% top rate of tax to remain but review of how much it raises
HELP FOR BUSINESS
Corporation tax to be cut by 2% in April, not 1% as previously planned
Bank levy to be adjusted so banks do not pay less tax as a result
43 tax reliefs to be scrapped as part of simplification of tax code
£350m of business regulation to be scrapped
No new regulation on firms with fewer than 10 staff for three years
Business rate relief holiday for small firms extended for another year
New rules to require planners to prioritise growth and jobs
£100m funding for science facilities
21 “enterprise zones” to be launched, backed by tax incentives
OTHER TAXES AND ALLOWANCES
Council tax to be frozen or reduced this year in every English council
10% discount on inheritance tax for people leaving 10% of estate to charity
Rise in air passenger duty to be frozen this year
Private jet users to pay passenger duty for first time
Levy on so-called “non-doms” up to £50,000 for those resident in the UK for 12 years
Tax avoidance clampdown to raise £1bn this year
Support for families in the south-west of England with water bills
PENSIONS
Accepts Hutton review of reform of public sector pension contributions
Long-term aim for £140 a week flat-rate state pension – not to apply to current pensioners
FUEL, CIGARETTE AND ALCOHOL DUTIES
Fuel duty to be cut by 1p per litre from 1800 GMT
Planned 4p per litre rise due in April to be delayed to 2012
Annual fuel duty escalator to be scrapped until 2015
VAT on fuel will not be reduced
No additional changes to alcohol duty rates
Tobacco duty rates up by 2% above inflation, duty regime to be reformed
UK ECONOMY
2011 growth forecast downgraded from 2.1% to 1.7%
2012 forecast also down from 2.6% to 2.5%
Inflation set to remain between 4% and 5% in 2011
BORROWING
Forecast borrowing of £146bn this year, £2.5bn lower than anticipated
Borrowing to fall to £122bn next year, dropping to £29bn by 2015-16
National debt forecast to be 60% of national income this year, up to 71% in 2012
HOUSING
Government-backed shared equity scheme to help 10,000 first-time buyers
JOBS AND SKILLS
Funding for 12 further university technical colleges
40,000 new apprenticeships for young people out of work
Funding for 100,000 work experience placements
TRANSPORT
£100m for repairing potholes in England
£200m support for regional railways in England
GREEN MEASURES
£2bn extra funding for Green Investment Bank – to launch in 2012
