Other highlights

Vehicle excise duty

From 1 April 2017 vehicle excise duty (VED) rates for cars, vans and motorcycles registered before that date increase in line with the retail price index (RPI). VED is paid on vehicle ownership, and rates are dependent on the type of vehicle and the first date of registration.

HGV vehicle excise duty and road user levy

There will be no change in HGV VED and road user levy rates.

Air passenger duty

Air passenger duty rates increase in line with the RPI from 1 April 2018 as follows:

An announcement with regard to the applicable rates from 1 April 2019 will be made at Autumn Budget 2017.

Alcohol duties

From 13 March 2017 the duty rates on alcohol will increase in line with the RPI. The increase in cost is reported to be:

• pint of beer - 2p
• pint of cider - 1p
• bottle of Scotch whisky - 36p
• bottle of wine - 10p.

Tobacco duty rates

All tobacco product duty rates increase with effect from 8 March 2017 by 2% above RPI inflation.

Gaming duty

Gaming duty bands increase in line with inflation for gaming duty periods starting on or after 1 April 2017.

Cigarette duty

From 20 May 2017 there will be a minimum excise tax for cigarettes. This is intended to target the cheapest tobacco. The rate is £268.63 per 1,000 cigarettes.

Aggregates levy

The aggregates levy for 2017/18 will remain at £2 per tonne.

Stamp duty land tax

Following consultation, the government is to delay the reduction in the stamp duty land tax filing and payment window until 2018/19. 

Tax avoidance schemes

A change in the legislation which came into effect on 8 March 2017 is intended to ensure that promoters of tax avoidance schemes cannot circumvent the promoters of tax avoidance schemes regime by re-organising their business so that they either share control of a promoting business or put a person or persons between themselves and the promoting business.

This is achieved by introducing the term ‘significant influence' into the control definition of the Finance Act 2014.

T-levels

Plans were announced to provide an increase in the number of training hours for 16-19 year olds on technical routes by more than 50% to over 900 hours a year on average, including the completion of a high quality industry work placement during the programme.

Insurance premium tax

The standard rate of insurance premium tax is to increase from 10% to 12% from 1 June 2017.

Tax credit debt

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will seek to recover HMRC tax credit debt using its existing powers including the use of direct earnings attachment.

Benefit fraud and error

The DWP is to work with an external data provider with a view to better identify fraud and error caused by undeclared partners.

You can read the rest of our Spring Budget 2017 report here.