At a meeting of Powys County Council on Thursday, February 26, councillors narrowly voted in favour of proposals for the 2026/2027 budget. Finance portfolio holder Councillor David Thomas (Labour – Tawe Uchaf) presented the draft budget, which explained the need for the 4.9 per cent Council Tax increase, as well as outlining that the council will
Council Tax in Edinburgh will rise by 4% following the budget meeting on Thursday. Council officers had recommended a 5% rise and the Labour administration had agreed with that proposal. A 4% council tax increase means that the tax paid on a Band D property will rise to £1,626.05 per year – £62.54 more than
More than 860,000 people will have to file regular financial updates with HMRC from April as a new government tax programme is rolled out. Sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 from self-employment and property will have to use the Making Tax Digital system from 6 April. While some argue it will save time
Local authorities are responsible for providing education, social care, public transport, and culture and leisure. Funding from the Scottish government makes up the bulk of council finances. Council tax makes up a relatively small proportion of each council’s budget but it is the area where the council has the most control. For instance, council tax
Payments for the state pension will increase in April State pensioners could get a surprise tax bill(Image: Getty) State pensioners should check whether they will face a fresh tax demand this year. Payouts are set to rise once more in April, courtesy of the triple lock. This mechanism guarantees that payments increase in accordance with
The windfall tax is blamed for a fall in investment The UK government is said to be weighing an early end to the controversial Energy Profits Levy (EPL) or windfall tax, amid sustained pressure from the oil and gas industry. Treasury officials and North Sea operators have engaged in an “intense schedule of meetings” over
Rachel Reeves under fire for failing to raise £12.5bn from windfall tax on banks – Birmingham Live Need to know Campaigners say a tax on the huge profits made by banks would have offset the need for freezing income tax and National Insurance thresholds, which are putting a financial squeeze on ordinary workers 13:26, 25
The government has changed how it allocates funding to local authorities, called the “Fair Funding Review”. This means that more deprived areas are getting a greater proportion of the money. While there are pockets of very high deprivation around Weston-super-Mare, on average North Somerset is among the least deprived 20% areas in the country. So
The number of local authorities in England looking to impose the maximum level of council tax has fallen this year, new analysis reveals. Some 119 of the 153 top-tier authorities have either proposed or confirmed a rise of 4.99% for 2026/27 – the largest increase possible without holding a local referendum. A further six councils
A massive surge of support for for the personal income tax allowance to rise from £12,570 to £20,000 is putting pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the spring statement (Image: PA) A campaign calling for a rise in the income tax threshold has hit a major milestone, with increasing pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves