Between April and June this year, HMRC issued refunds amounting to nearly £49 million to pensioners who had overpaid taxes on their pension withdrawals. Approximately 13,000 claims were processed during this period, with each individual receiving an average refund of £3,800. The issue of over-taxation arises from the method HMRC uses to calculate tax on …
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is being urged to raise taxes as the UK’s financial “black hole” is now estimated to exceed £50 billion. The left-leaning National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has warned that the Chancellor will need to increase taxes to cover this shortfall. The shortfall comprises £41.2 billion in additional spending commitments, …
Introduction UK equity markets hit new heights in July as the FTSE100 cruised through 9000 despite sluggish GDP growth. President Trump continued to show his more conciliatory side as he delayed tariff deadlines and achieved a relatively soft landing once a deal with the EU was reached. Whilst we will inevitably see some ups and …
Ever more families are facing inheritance tax (IHT) bills as frozen thresholds push more estates into liability. HMRC took £1.5 billion in IHT receipts in the first two months of the current tax year, according to its latest data. This is an uptick of just under £100 million on the comparative period last year (a …
The UK is bracing for a record-breaking exit of 16,500 millionaires in 2025, the biggest millionaire outflow globally, according to Henley & Partners’ Wealth Migration Report. New tax rules are being blamed for the forecast exodus. The end of non-domiciled resident (“non-dom”) tax breaks, higher capital gains tax, and changes to inheritance tax on overseas …
Introduction Further tensions in the Middle East dominated headlines in June. Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in mid-June led to a temporary spike in oil prices and increased market volatility. The potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran further heightened concerns, given its strategic importance for global oil transit. United States Trump’s …
The Government has launched plans to make wide-ranging changes to how major pension funds are structured, with legal requirements to invest in UK assets. The plans will oversee the creation of new pension ‘megafunds’ which will manage over £25 billion in assets. This will affect major Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) and multi-employer defined contribution …
Price rises have accelerated to 3.5% according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation for April 2025, released on 21 May 2025. This means that, year-on-year, the cost of a range of goods and services is now 3.5% higher than the same period 12 months ago. It is …
Introduction It’s almost impossible to write any commentary on financial markets this year without mentioning Donald Trump. After the turmoil of April, and the dramatic tariff announcements which sent markets into a spin, May was relatively sedate in comparison. United States US equity markets bounced back in May. The S&P 500, the Nasdaq Composite and …
A weaker US dollar could have significant potential effects on the UK economy, household finances and long-term financial portfolios. Understanding these implications is important, especially given the high levels of uncertainty in the global economy and the effect of this on financial plans. Key here, amidst all the uncertainty, is ensuring decisions aren’t made rashly, …
