Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has confirmed 26 March 2025 as the date for the Spring Forecast.
The Office for Budget Responsibility is required to produce two forecasts each financial year by the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011.
The Chancellor will accompany the forecast with a speech to Parliament. However, since she is committed to the stability that having only one major fiscal event a year brings, it seems that her speech is unlikely to include any major tax changes.
We will keep you posted on any developments related to the Spring Forecast. If you have any concerns or questions about how the Autumn Budget will affect your tax position for the 2025/26 tax year, please contact us at any time. We will be happy to help you!
See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-commissions-spring-forecast-on-26-march-2025
HMRC have proposed a new criminal offence for making reckless, untrue statements or declarations about what's known as 'direct taxes' - Income Tax, National Insurance and the like. For Customs and Excise and VAT ('indirect taxes'), it is already possible to prosecute individuals who make untrue statements or submit incorrect documents either knowingly or recklessly, without the need to prove dishonesty. The penalties for such offences can be severe, including substantial fines and imprisonment. The direct tax regime does not currently contain an equivalent offence.
A new Freedom of Information (FOI) request has discovered that health and safety violations cost British employers over £44 million per year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that serious breaches have resulted in an increasing number of prosecutions between 2023 and 2025.