Pre-Budget report 2009: Key announcements

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Details of the 2009 pre-Budget report announced changes in 2010-11 are set out below:

VAT - Flat Rate Scheme

2009 pre-Budget report confirms the reversion of the VAT standard rate to 17.5 per cent from 1 January 2010.

2009 pre-Budget report also announces that sectoral rates for the VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS) are updated. The FRS provides optional simplified VAT arrangements for businesses with turnover up to £150,000.

Income tax rates and allowances

2009 pre-Budget report announces that the main rates of income tax for 2010-11 will remain at 20 per cent for basic rate taxpayers and 40 per cent for higher-rate taxpayers. As announced at Budget 2009 an additional rate of tax of 50 per cent will apply on income over £150,000.

As announced at the 2008 pre-Budget report, tax allowances and thresholds will be frozen in 2010-11 at a time when RPI is negative, with taxpayers receiving a real terms benefit from the maintenance of 2009-10 levels.

This means that the personal allowance for 2010-11 will remain at £6,475 and the age related allowance will remain at £9,490 for people aged between 65 and 74, and to £9,640 for those aged 75 and over. In 2010-11 no one aged 65 or over need pay tax on an income of up to £182 a week.

Inheritance Tax

2009 pre-Budget report announces that the inheritance tax allowance will be frozen at £325,000 for individuals and at £650,000 for married couples and civil partners in 2010-11.

National insurance contributions

2009 pre-Budget report announces that the starting point for employers', employees' and self employed National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will be maintained at £110 per week despite RPI being negative. The upper earnings and profits limits for Class 1 and Class 4 NICs respectively will also be maintained at their current level of £844 a week, and for the self-employed, the rate of Class 2 contributions will continue to be £2.40 a week. Class 3 contributions will also remain at their current rate of £12.05. In line with the increase in the amount of the state pension, the lower earnings limit and the special class 2 rate for volunteer development workers which are linked to this level will rise to £97 a week and £4.85 a week respectively.

Small companies’ rate of corporation tax

The 2008 pre-Budget report announced that the planned rise in the small companies' rate to 22 per cent would be deferred until 2010-11. The 2009 pre-Budget report announces this rise will be deferred for a further year until 2011-12, so the rate will freeze at 21 per cent until April 2011.

Tax Credits and Child Benefit

As announced in Budget 2009, the child element of the Child Tax Credit will rise by £20 above indexation in April 2010, an increase of £65 in cash terms.

The government will increase Child Benefit, Guardian's Allowance, the disability elements of the Child Tax Credit, all elements of the Working Tax Credit (WTC), apart from the childcare element, and the disregard for WTC in Housing Benefit by 1.5 per cent in April 2010. The threshold for receipt of the maximum Child Tax Credit award will rise to £16,190, reflecting the income level at which a family in receipt of the basic and couple’s or lone parent’s element of WTC would have their entitlement to WTC tapered to zero. Other rates and thresholds in tax credits will remain unchanged.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)

2009 pre-Budget report confirms the SDLT holiday for residential properties up to the value of £175,000 will end as planned on 31 December 2009.

Fuel duties

As originally announced at Budget 2008, the duty differential for biofuels will cease from 1 April 2010. The 2009 pre-Budget report announces that the duty differential will continue for two years for biofuels made from used cooking oils.

Vehicle excise duty (VED)

2009 pre-Budget report announces that VED rates for motorbikes in 2010-11 will increase by £4 in the highest band, and by £2 in the second highest band, from 1 April 2010. VED rates for motorbikes in the lower two bands will be frozen.