Taxation

• Stamp duty to be abolished immediately for first-time buyers purchasing properties worth up to £300,000

• meaning 80% of first time buyers will not pay any stamp duty and 95% will benefit. In London, first time buyers will not pay stamp duty on the first £300,000 of a purchase up to £500,000. Normal stamp duty will apply on purchases above £500,000.
• The income tax threshold will rise to £11,850 from April 2018 and the higher rate threshold to £46,350. This is in line with plans to increase the threshold to £12,500 by 2020. Increases thereafter will be in line with inflation.
• The National Living Wage is to rise from £7.50 per hour to £7.83 per hour from April 2018.
• Vehicle excise duty for diesel cars that do not meet the latest standards to rise by one band in April 2018
• VAT Threshold for small business to remain at £85,000 for the next two years
• Local authorities will be able to charge 100% council tax premium on empty properties. This is in response to the current housing shortage, aimed at encouraging property owners to make their properties available for housing.

Pensions

• There were no significant announcements regarding pensions made during this budget

Savings

• There were no significant announcements regarding savings made during this budget

Ad hoc

• In 2018, fuel duty will remain frozen for the eighth year in a row.
• Business Rates will rise by CPI from April 2018. Business rates currently rise by the Retail Price Index (RPI), a different way of measuring inflation which tends to be higher than the CPI. Revaluations for business rates will take place every three years instead of every five years.
• £15.3 billion new financial support for house building over the next five years – taking the total to at least £44 billion. This includes £1.2 billion for the government to buy land to build more homes, and £2.7 billion for infrastructure that will support housing.