The government's reiterations that the NHS should work more efficiently should be welcomed. Yet small changes to how it procures prescriptions could lead to significant savings. Doctors should not prescribe branded medicines when the non-branded alternatives provide the same benefits to patients. Whilst there are patented medicines which necessarily preclude... Read more...
New research by the TaxPayers' Alliance shows how the taxman sucks the Christmas cheer out of Brits by imposing stealth Christmas taxes. Christmas taxes, as calculated by the TPA, include the cost of VAT on holiday shopping such as Christmas trees, children's toys and alcohol. With the cost of living on... Read more...
IntroductionRead the full report here. Is inflation a tax? At first glance, it may be tempting to conclude that it is not. It does not appear anywhere on the statute books. Nobody is charged with collecting it. Yet just like a tax, it is a transfer of wealth not based on free... Read more...
Cutting EU Waste – The Taxpayer-Friendly Option for the EU’s Post-Brexit Budget Introduction In a separate Red Cell paper, William Norton reviews the impact of the UK leaving the EU on the latter’s finances. In short, the algebra means that the big donor countries pay up more to plug the gap. ... Read more...
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, recently claimed that further debt incurred under his treasury would “pay for itself”, optimistically assuming that the fiscal multiplier would cover the interest and principal through higher tax receipts. Government borrowing has to be funded and if capital is not attracted domestically (reducing private spending),... Read more...
The beer industry in the UK has invested billions more since the beer duty escalator was scrapped in 2013. Investment in 2016 was £1.96 billion, which is £800 million more than in 2013. 2013 was the year when the beer duty 'escalator' was scrapped and a planned 3p increase instead became a... Read more...
Read the full report. Since the 2014 autumn statement, stamp duty land tax (SDLT) on residential property purchases has been applied at a marginal rate of 2 per cent between £125,001 and £250,000, 5 per cent between £250,001 and £925,000, 10 per cent between £925,001 and £1.5 million and 12... Read more...
The beer industry in the UK provides nearly 900,000 jobs and contributes £23bn annually to the UK economy. The sector also supports the employment of a large number of people in underrepresented groups such as young people and those in regions with relatively high levels of unemployment. However, the government... Read more...
The government would be wrong to use low interest rates to borrow and spend more A new paper by the TaxPayers' Alliance sets out the economic landscape in which the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will make its latest interest rate decision, and makes the case for not raising borrowing or... Read more...
Across the UK, local authorities and NHS boards are responsible for delivering changes to people’s behaviour for areas associated with purportedly poor lifestyle choices. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 in particular lead to the decentralisation of public health spending, campaigns and interventions to local authorities in England.... Read more...
There are health risks to people from excessive consumption of alcohol. Furthermore, excessive consumption can place a burden on society due to the cost of paying for healthcare and the criminal justice system . As a result, the government levies a duty on beer which is designed to discourage its... Read more...
New research by the TaxPayers' Alliance reveals that councils are paying their staff millions more than they should in mileage payments. HMRC has an approved rate for mileage payments, and yet 173 councils are giving their employees above that rate.The TPA first exposed this needless waste of taxpayers' money back in 2011, and... Read more...
Tuition fee hikes, planning policies and lifestyle taxes all hit younger people hardest by making education, housing and entertainment more expensive. The government should lighten the load it places on young people, but abolishing tuition fees or making student loan repayment terms even more generous would be unfair to those... Read more...
Executive summary The UK economy has performed reasonably well in recent years after a period of sluggish growth following the great recession. Unemployment is at its lowest point since early 1975. However, wage growth has remained slow, and many households are struggling to cope with the cost of... Read more...
The TaxPayers’ Alliance can reveal that €87 million has been handed to environmentalist campaigns in the UK and the rest of the European Union in the last ten years. British taxpayers have contributed to this budget. Taxpayers are paying twice: once for the grants, and again in higher energy bills... Read more...
Despite a narrative of squeezed public services, the wages, salaries and pensions of those in taxpayer-funded positions are all on average more generous. Since 2009, gross median annual salaries in the public sector were on average 12.4 per cent higher than the private sector. Click here to read the full... Read more...
Our research reveals that 45 public sector trade union bosses receive more than £100,000 each year in salary and benefits. This places them comfortably within the top 5 per cent of earners in the UK. Click here to read the full report. Read more...
Local authorities in England have seen dramatic changes to their funding since 2010 with more changes in the pipeline. The government announced in 2015 that within five years, local authorities will be able to raise and keep all revenue from business rates. Additional powers over how council tax is raised... Read more...
The UK spends almost double the rest of the EU combined on large procurement contracts, and much less on smaller ones, research finds. The United Kingdom published 167 contract award notices on contracts worth €100 million or above. France published 29, Italy 25 and Germany 5. These are worth altogether €73.77 billion and accounted for 52 per cent of such notices... Read more...
This summer millions of British families will head off for a well-earned holiday. But before they do many of the simple but important purchases they make are subject to tax. Items such as clothes are subject to VAT, whilst travel insurance purchases are hit by Insurance Premium Tax (IPT). The... Read more...
In the wake of the 2017 general election, much commentary has focussed on the impact public spending cuts had on the result. Less attention has been paid to assessing by how much public spending has actually been reduced. Click the link here for our latest research note on government spending. ... Read more...
The House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee have reported back on their inquiry into government accounts - and how to ensure the taxpayer can properly scrutinise them. We are delighted that the Committee have taken several of our recommendations on board. You can read their full report... Read more...
For the tenth consecutive year, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has compiled the most comprehensive list of council employees in the UK whose total annual remuneration exceeds £100,000. This year’s Town Hall Rich List covers the 2014-15 and 2015-16 financial years, the most recent full years for which data is available.... Read more...
Facility time is paid time-off taken by trade union representatives to carry out ‘duties’. It has been the focus of major reforms in central and local government, as well as the civil service over the past few years. The TaxPayers’ Alliance has previously revealed how trade unions have received large... Read more...