What Do We Think Oif The Budget?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42056452
I think the personal allowance rises are pretty good, though I'm sad they haven't caned smoking a lot more, 2%, perlease 100%! if you are serious.

[Gromit]

A pretty boring budget as expected. After the March budget quickly unravelled and u-turns ensued, Hammond had to play it safe now the Tories have lost their majority.

[jno]

as Gromit says, the greatest risk was upsetting the Mail so that May would have to ditch chunks of it tomorrow afternoon. Universal credit needed improvement and the NHS needs more money, so I can't argue with those. Cuts in forecast growth aren't good, though.

[mikey4444]

I haven't had time to study it in very much detail, but the removal of Stamp Duty on house purchases for first-times buyers is to be welcomed.

Like you TTT, I would have preferred to see a higher rate rise for smokers.

But my £200 winter fuel payment arrived in my bank account the moment Hammond got up to speak !

[Old_Geezer]

It'd be nice if they stopped taxing "house movers" too. It's bound to be a disincentive to sell lower cost property (for first timers), and move up the price range.

Not read the budget yet. Just about to.

[hereIam]

Glad of the extra funding for the NHS.

[baza]

Wot, no increases in booze and fuel duty, whatever is the man thinking.

[Togo]

Good point Geezer, plus anyone wishing to downsize and put a bigger home on the market to perhaps house more occupants in properties that are now too large for them would ease the pressure on accommodation. Plus more road tax on motorbikes, that are causing noise pollution, danger on the roads, and are now the vehicle of choice for criminals would have been a welcome move.

[Old_Geezer]

"Councils given powers to charge 100% council tax premium on empty properties"

It appears he is a moral lacking, utter scumbag. There's no justification for charging more at all when the council will be not supplying as much in service as no one is there. Rate should be less were there any fairness. Dregs like this clearly ought not be in power.

I have a property that is my pastime to be doing up and they mug me for excess already. Authorities don't care who they abuse nor that they have no valid excuse. As long as they can effectively steal from whoever they want and then claim it isn't because the Westminster government says it's ok to pick on folk to bully.

[Gromit]

OG
Hammond hit a nerve there.

When there are 5 million too few houses, the Chancellor is trying to discourage properties lying empty. The council rates are not levied on your use of services, they are based on the value of your asset.

[jno]

do they still sweep the streets outside your property, OG?

[gollob]

Does Old Geezer not realise that things like Police, Fire service NHS, Street cleaning ,Street Lightning and council services all have to be paid for or perhaps they should be free

[New Judge]

"Does Old Geezer not realise that things like Police, Fire service NHS, Street cleaning ,Street Lightning....all have to be paid for or perhaps they should be free"

Yes they do have to be paid for. And they should be funded from central taxation. There is no justification for local taxation to fund these items. Everybody needs about the same amount of fire service cover, police cover, street cleaning and lighting. There is absolutely no need for a the huge bureaucracy that is local government to provide street lights and dustcarts. This is especially so when 80% of Loacal Authority income comes from central taxation.

[Old_Geezer]

Others don't seem to understand that paying for fixed services is a reason for charging some tax, not multiple times what a family pays. But that's a difficult concept admittedly. Value of asset is a bad enough taxation system in itself but the value of the asset doesn't increaee if services aren't used as much. Besides, the rates, poll tax, community charge cycle was supposed to make it more individual related, but it's all just excuses on their part; they just want to victimise as they choose. You don't do what they want you to, they abuse their power to hit you.

[Old_Geezer]

INCREASE !!!!!
As typed.

[youngmafbog]

I have to agree OG.

They continually bang on about development of brownfield sites but then hit the developer hard with tax. We used to fix up dilapidated and uninhabitable properties in Nottingham. We stopped when Council tax was applied at full rate (raods were not swept in those areas) and massive tax put on skips. on top of that the thieving Banks were on 8% and a couple of Gs into yhe loan and a couple out. Loan to asset ratio was 60:40 so there was no risk to Banks only to us.

If they want t fix the housing crisis they need to help people not fleece them

[EDDIE51]

As was immediately pointed out on the TV debate about it, the abolition of stamp duty will lead to a rise in house prices. This will specifically hurt the lower end of the market where first time buyers predominate.

[naomi24]

^Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

[EDDIE51]

I think this is going to help the housing market more than the stamp duty change. Quote from BBC news >>
''Councils given powers to charge 100% council tax premium on empty properties''
Instead of getting a 50% reduction of council tax on empty properties the council can now charge double the rate charged on inhabited property.
Remember Kensington & Chelsea the site of the Grenfell tower fire, has over 1500 properties that are being intentionally kept empty as an investment, almost all of them owned by persons living outside the EU.
They will now have to get people living in them or pay 4 times the council tax they are paying now.

[youngmafbog]

//the abolition of stamp duty will lead to a rise in house prices.//

Highly unlikey and even if it did not measurable due to house rise anyway. The underlying problem with husing is over population, the World is far to over populated and the UK really is full for the infrastructure we have.

Another thing that annoys me with Stamp duty is the unfairness across the Country. In the North it is possibe to easy buy a 3 bed semi for £150. In the South you will struggle to get one for 300k. So no real help for much of the country then.

[youngmafbog]

Eddie, red my post above.

I am one developer who has stopped renovating and I know of others.

So you are talking out of your jacksie.