UK Autumn Statement 2023 | Business Implications Explained

BLOG23rd Nov 2023

Analysis and commentary on the UK Autumn Statement 2023 from AAB’s team of tax experts, identifying the key changes and outlining the practical implications for you and your business.

On November 22, 2023, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivered his Autumn Statement 2023, which he called a “Statement for Growth”. The economic priorities included halving inflation, boosting growth, and reducing debt. In his speech, Hunt said that the Statement contained “growth measures to back business” and “measures to make work pay”.

So, what did we learn? and how will the new suite of measures introduced impact the UK economy, businesses and families both in the short and medium term?

Here are the key takeaways:

Autumn Statement 2023 Explained

In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Statement, the press was full of speculation about tax cuts. This was a surprise as just over a year ago, the tax cuts announced by Kwasi Kwarteng were judged imprudent by the international markets, contributing to a fall in the value of sterling and increases in interest rates. Nevertheless, it seemed that a side effect of inflation was that higher incomes and prices had fed through into higher tax receipts; the Chancellor had more in his coffers – more ‘fiscal headroom’ – than had been predicted in the Spring, and commentators were suggesting what he might do with it.

Mr Hunt started his speech by claiming he was bringing forward 110 growth measures to back UK business. He did not list them all in the speech, but there is no doubt that the documents released on the internet when he sat down contained a mass of detail – some specific rule changes coming in on particular dates, and some outlines of plans that are being considered for later.

Autumn Statement 2023 | Key Highlights

Our Download Guide summarises the main tax changes that were announced by Mr Hunt, with an explanation of what they are likely to mean for your business or your family. The Guide also includes a table showing the financial effects of the proposals, which highlights what is really significant and what is more marginal. Reductions in National Insurance amount to £9.3 billion in 2023/24 and similar amounts each year after that; changes to tax relief for capital expenditure come to similar amounts in the longer term. On the other hand, HMRC hope to collect £1 billion a year extra from the sinister-sounding ‘investment in debt management capability’.

Significant Points include:

Cuts to employee NICs take effect from 6 January 2024 and self-employed NICs from 6 April 2024
100% first year allowances (‘full expensing’) for companies made ‘permanent’ (originally due to expire 31 March 2026)
Extension of the ‘cash basis’ of computing taxable profits for unincorporated businesses
Reforms to tax reliefs for research and development and creative industries
Affirmation of support for the state pension ‘triple lock’ with an 8.5% increase from April 2024, based on average earnings
No changes announced to Income Tax, Inheritance Tax or Stamp Duty Land Tax – all remain fixed at levels previously announced
Simplifications announced to the Making Tax Digital regime to be introduced for income tax self-assessment in April 2026