Budget 2021

In the year since the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, delivered his first Budget to a packed Commons chamber in March 2020, more than 135,000 people in the UK have died from Coronavirus, there have been three national lockdowns, the economy has shrunk by 9.9 per cent and Coronavirus support measures have cost around £280 billion.


As a result, Government borrowing – the budget deficit – is expected to rise from a forecasted £55 billion to about £355 billion by the end of 2020-21. Meanwhile, national debt is already approaching 100 per cent of GDP at £2.1 trillion and could rise to 120 per cent of GDP during the first half of the decade according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).


The widely respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned late last year that around £40 billion of tax rises will be needed by the middle of the decade to keep borrowing down to £80 billion a year and debt down to 100 per cent of GDP, prompting intense speculation that they could come as soon as this Budget.


With the Conservatives having committed in their 2019 General Election Manifesto not to raise the rates of Income Tax, National Insurance or VAT, much of the speculation about possible tax rises was focused on Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Corporation Tax.

At the same time, the Budget came against the background of a growing sense of cautious optimism. More than 20 million people have now been vaccinated against Coronavirus and, just over a week ago, the Prime Minister set out the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.


In announcing the roadmap out of lockdown, the Prime Minister – echoed by various ministers over the intervening days – all but confirmed the Chancellor would announce further Coronavirus support for businesses and the self-employed at the Budget.


Then, at 10pm the night before the Budget, several major news organisations reported the same details of how the various Coronavirus support measures would be extended, leaving little doubt about what the Chancellor would say on the subject.

The question, then, as Mr Sunak rose to the dispatch box in a virtually deserted Commons chamber, was whether he would increase any taxes immediately or hold off until a later date.



Economic outlook


The Chancellor began by noting the way that the Coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally altered our way of life and summarising the Government’s response to the crisis.


After promising to do whatever it takes to support people through the crisis, he said: “It’s going to take this country and the whole world a long time to recover”.

Turning to the economic outlook, the Chancellor said that the OBR is now expecting a swifter and more sustained recovery than it had expected in November, with the economy now expected to return to its pre-Covid level by the middle of next year – six months earlier than forecast.


However, he said that in five years’ time, the economy will still be three per cent smaller than it would have been, had it not been for the pandemic.

He said that growth this year is forecast to be four per cent, rising to 7.3 per cent in 2022, followed by growth of 1.7 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 1.7 per cent in the subsequent years.


Coronavirus support measures


Turning to the Government’s Coronavirus support measures, the Chancellor confirmed, as had been trailed, that the furlough scheme – the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) – would be extended to the end of September 2021, continuing to pay furloughed workers 80 per cent of their usual wages, capped at £2,500 a month.


However, unlike the scheme as it currently operates, he said employers will have to contribute 10 per cent of a furloughed worker’s wages in July and 20 per cent in August and September.


Moving to support for self-employed individuals, the Chancellor said that 600,000 newly self-employed people would be eligible for the fourth round of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) as people who have submitted a 2019-20 Self-Assessment tax return will now be eligible.


The fourth round of the scheme will once again provide grants worth up to 80 per cent of trading profits, capped at £7,500. Applications will open in late April.

He then announced a fifth grant worth three months of average profits. This will continue to pay grants at 80 per cent of usual trading profits capped at £7,500 for people whose turnover has fallen by 30 per cent, but it will reduce to 30 per cent of usual trading profits capped at £2,850 for people whose turnover has fallen by less than that.


The Chancellor also announced the extension of the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit for people who have lost their jobs for the next six months.

Moving to direct support for businesses, he announced the launch of the Recovery Loan Scheme from 6 April this year to replace the Government’s existing Coronavirus loan schemes. The Recovery Loan Scheme will allow any business of any size to apply for a loan of between £25,000 and £10 million backed by an 80 per cent Government guarantee.


He said that new Restart Grants will also be launched in April, making one-off payments of up to £6,000 per premises for non-essential retail businesses and up to £18,000 for businesses in the hospitality sector and others that are reopening later.

The Chancellor confirmed that the current 100 per cent business rates relief for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will continue for three months to 30 June 2021. There will then be a 66 per cent reduction in business rates for these businesses until 31 March 2022, capped at £2 million for businesses required to close on 5 January 2021 and capped at £105,000 for other businesses.


Staying with the hospitality sector, he said that the VAT reduction from 20 per cent to five per cent on many goods and services in the hospitality and leisure sectors will now be extended from 31 March 2021 to 30 September 2021. It will then move to an interim rate of 12.5 per cent until it reverts to 20 per cent in April 2022.


The Chancellor also said that the Government will double incentive payments for employers in all sectors to take on apprentices to £3,000.


Moving to the housing sector and the property market, the Chancellor said the £500,000 Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) nil-rate band will remain in place for a further three months until 30 June 2021. It will then fall to £250,000 – twice its normal rate – until the end of September.


He then moved on to announce a new mortgage guarantee scheme, beginning in April 2021. The scheme will offer a Government guarantee to lending offering 95 per cent mortgages on homes worth up to £600,000.


The Chancellor said that the measures set out in the Budget amount to a further £65 billion of Coronavirus support, bringing the total since the start of the crisis to £407 billion.


Personal tax measures


The Chancellor said that the cost of Coronavirus support and the impact of the economic downturn on tax receipts meant that borrowing would reach £355 billion this year and £234 billion next year.


Reiterating his commitment to sustainable public finances, he said it was necessary to take steps to get the public finances back on track.


The Chancellor said that the Income Tax Personal Allowance and Higher Rate Threshold (HRT) will increase in line with the consumer prices index in April 2021 but will then remain at this level until April 2026, cancelling planned increases in line with inflation.


He said that thresholds for Inheritance Tax, the pensions Lifetime Allowance and the Annual Exempt Amount for CGT will remain at their current levels until April 2026.


Business tax measures


Moving to business tax measures, the Chancellor confirmed the widely expected increase in Corporation Tax from 19 per cent to 25 per cent, which will come into effect from April 2023.


However, he also announced a new Small Profits Rate of Corporation Tax for small businesses with profits below £50,000 of 19 per cent, meaning they will see no increase. Businesses with profits of between £50,000 and £250,000 will see a tapered rate, while those with profits of more than £250,000 will pay the full 25 per cent rate.

The Chancellor moved on to say that the Government will extend the trading loss carry-back rule temporarily from one to three years. Loss-making unincorporated businesses and those that are not part of a corporate group will be entitled to relief for up to £2 million of losses in 2020-21 and 2021-22.


Those that are part of a corporate group will have caps on either £200,000 or £2 million across the group in each year.


He also announced a two-year temporary Capital Allowances Super Deduction of 130 per cent for main rate assets such as plant and machinery as well as a 50 per cent First Year Allowance for special rate assets.


Meanwhile, he said that the current VAT registration threshold of £85,000 will remain in place for a further two years from April 2022.


Turning back to the hospitality sector, the Chancellor announced that planned increases in the duties of spirits, wine and beer would be cancelled.

He also once again froze fuel duty.


The Chancellor also confirmed reviews of Research and Development Tax Reliefs and Enterprise Management Incentives.


Public spending


Moving to spending announcements, the Chancellor confirmed the launch of the UK Infrastructure Bank, based in Leeds, which will support investment in public and private infrastructure projects.


He said there would be an additional £1.6 billion to support the vaccine roll-out, £1 billion in local funding for towns, and a £375 million Future Fund: Breakthrough for highly innovative companies.


Again returning to the hospitality sector, he announced the launch of a £150 million Community Ownership Fund for communities to invest in assets such as pubs, theatres, shops or sports clubs.


Finally, he announced the locations of eight Freeports, subject to simpler planning rules, infrastructure grants and lower taxes. They will be at East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe and Harwich, Humber, Liverpool City Region, Plymouth, Solent, Thames and Teeside.


Conclusion



Although most of the key Coronavirus business support measures had been revealed in advance of the Budget, the Chancellor confirmed that taxes will rise in the coming years, as had been widely expected.


As ever, what the Budget means for individuals and businesses will become clearer as more details of the specific policies are announced in the coming days and weeks.

It seems clear, however, that businesses and individuals are about to start meeting the costs of the Government’s Coronavirus support measures.

Link: Budget 2021

Company tax returns and accounts have gone digital

By Charlie Flockhart • April 21, 2026
HMRC and Companies House have confirmed that from 1 April, all businesses must use compliant, commercial software to file their company’s tax returns. As of 31 March, the free joint online service, commonly known as the CATO portal, from these two Government bodies has been removed and you must now use software to file company tax returns to HMRC. For the time being, you will still be able to file annual accounts at Companies House using third-party software, WebFiling services or paper filing. The decision has been made to end this service as it is “outdated and no longer aligns with modern digital standards”, according to Companies House. This change is in line with the introduction of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which implemented “enhanced corporation tax requirements and changes to UK company law.” It also follows on from a major IT security breach at Companies House, identified in March 2026, that exposed the WebFiling system and allowed some users to potentially access and amend the details of other companies. Although the breach has now been resolved and security strengthened, it has raised concerns about the reliability of GOV.UK One Login service.  Can you still amend previous returns using the free service? HMRC and Companies House have confirmed that now that the free filing service has closed, company directors will have to use commercial tax software if they need to make changes to a previously submitted Corporation Tax return or refile a rejected return. From now onwards, any previously filed financial information will no longer be available in the system, as it has not been retained and will need to be entered again. HMRC has said that, for amendments, it will also be acceptable to send a paper return to the Corporation Tax Services office. If you have previously filed financial accounts with Companies House and you want to make changes or corrections, this will also need to be done via commercial software or by sending paper accounts to Companies House via post. Are there any exceptions to this new rule? Companies can file a paper Corporation Tax return only in limited circumstances, such as if they wish to submit it in Welsh or can demonstrate a valid, reasonable excuse to HMRC. Otherwise, returns must be filed online using commercial software. If you are affected by this change and need help choosing and utilising commercial software to complete your Corporation Tax return, please speak to our team.

Capital allowances - New rules for a new tax year

By Charlie Flockhart • April 21, 2026
Capital allowances continue to provide an effective method for businesses to reduce their tax bills, by providing incentives for investment in eligible expenditure – typically plant and machinery. Historically, these reliefs have been subject to change and the 2026/27 tax year is no different, as the Government moves to alter two key reliefs – Writing Down Allowance (WDA) and a new First-Year Allowance (FYA).  Reduction of the Writing Down Allowance The WDA will be reduced from 18 per cent to 14 per cent on the main pool of qualifying plant and machinery assets. This change has been introduced on two different dates, starting with companies subject to Corporation Tax on 1 April and followed shortly thereafter by those subject to Income Tax, such as sole traders and partnerships, from 6 April. Businesses with large brought forward main pool expenditures are expected to lose the most from the reduction in the main rate of WDA. In the long-term, the change may also reduce incentives for investment in second-hand assets and cars, which benefited under the previous rules. The new First-Year Allowance To offset some of the impact of the reduction in WDA, a new 40 per cent FYA on main rate expenditure, primarily still covering plant and machinery, will now be available. This new FYA is intended to encourage investment in areas where other FYAs don’t allow, in particular, assets bought by unincorporated businesses and leases. Sole traders and partnerships will, for the first time, be able to get additional support at the point of investment, which means that more businesses will be able to reduce their tax bill in the same year as their investment. This is expected to give a quick cashflow boost to those affected and provide additional support for future investments. However, it is important to note that this FYA does not support investment in second-hand assets, cars or leased assets in other countries. Finally, the Government has also confirmed that small business owners will continue to benefit from tax relief on electric vehicles, as the 100 per cent FYA for zero-emission vehicles and charge points has been extended until 31 March 2027 for Corporation Tax and 5 April 2027 for Income Tax. This gives businesses greater certainty when planning ahead, while also providing a strong financial incentive to invest by reducing tax bills upfront. Want to make more of capital allowances? If you think you may be eligible for capital allowances, either due to the changes outlined in this article or more generally, then it is important that you claim the tax relief available to you. If you would like help reviewing the current capital allowances that your business can claim, please get in touch.

Government abolishes work-from-home relief

By Charlie Flockhart • April 21, 2026
Directors and employees claiming work-from-home tax relief will no longer be able to claim it from the start of the new tax year – 6 April 2026. Why is this relief being taken away? The Chancellor announced the removal of the work-from-home relief as part of her latest Autumn Budget. The main reasoning given for the abolition is that it will support the nation’s deficit reduction. HMRC has also said that it no longer believes it is fit for purpose or easy to police. Who could claim work-from-home relief? Work-from-home relief has been utilised by homeworkers since the early 2000s, helping them offset some of the costs of heating, lighting, broadband and other home-office expenses required to complete their jobs. The relief allowed employees and directors to claim a flat rate of £6 per week or a deduction for actual costs. However, those who do not claim the flat fee were required to provide evidence of the exact costs, such as an invoice or bill. Eligibility for the relief only applied to individuals who had no other choice but to work from home. For instance, where the business did not have an office or the daily commute was not feasible. Individuals who simply preferred to work from home did not qualify. Is there any relief still available for home workers? The only remaining tax-free support will be reimbursements made directly by employers. This applies only where the payments relate to demonstrated additional household costs and where the costs are incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily for employment duties. For anyone still claiming work-from-home relief, it is worth reviewing your position now to understand how this abolishment will impact your take-home pay.