Five Budget pledges that would benefit business

Lynne Blakey, Director in the Advisory Consulting team at Evelyn Partners, outlines five measures that she would like to see in the Budget to help businesses survive and thrive in the current economic climate.

Lynne Blakey
Published: 07 Mar 2023 Updated: 07 Mar 2023

Five Budget pledges that would benefit business

Lynne Blakey, Director in the Advisory Consulting team at Evelyn Partners, outlines five measures that she would like to see in the Budget to help businesses survive and thrive in the current economic climate

Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement sought to restore the UK’s financial credibility, tackle the cost of living crisis and reduce inflation. It was a pretty bleak affair by anyone’s standards and the outlook for UK business in the short term looked grim.

There have been some chinks of light since then: Global energy prices have fallen to pre Ukraine invasion levels, UK inflation rates are slowly reducing and the UK has so far managed to narrowly avoid recession (ONS.gov.uk). However, businesses are still operating in a climate of high costs, rising interest rates and significant wages pressure often set against a backdrop of increased debt built up during the pandemic.  

So with the Spring Budget fast approaching, here are five measures that I would like to see in the Budget to help businesses survive and thrive in the current economic climate:

Positive indicators for investment and a road map to growth

Uncertainty is a crippling factor for business growth. Certainty and a road map to the future is required to inspire confidence and encourage companies and individuals to remain, invest and expand within the UK business market.

Whilst cancelling the planned rise in Corporation tax to 25% (for companies with annual profits over £250,000) (CT rise) does not feel to be a feasible option (without increasing taxes elsewhere), I would like to see a roadmap for the corporation tax rate to reduce over the next 5 years to make investing in the UK an attractive proposition. This, combined with my second measure below, would provide an important message to investors. The UK is open to business!

Encouraging technology and innovation

I strongly believe that technology and innovation will be critical in delivering growth within the UK economy.

It is important for the Government to be seen to spearhead this drive for technology and innovation. There have been positive steps in this direction with the recently created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which aims to put the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology). I was also delighted to see the pre-Budget announcement of an additional £370 million funding package to help boost investment in innovation and growth technologies within the UK (£370m fund).

However, it is important that investment is seen as not being solely London centric. The recently announced plans to set up financial innovation hubs in cities across the UK (CFIT) is a good start in this process but I would like to see the Government go further, announcing concrete steps in funding specifically for other cities and regions to help attract new businesses and global tech firms, encouraging them to set up offices or hire remote staff outside London.

Finally, I would like to see clarity around the proposed reforms to R&D tax credits and preferably the implementation of a simpler system which will help drive innovation and technology across all business sectors.  

Reform of the Energy market

I would like to see wholesale changes to the way the energy market works to reduce energy prices in the long term and stop the need for Budget intervention.

We have seen the impact of international issues on energy costs, and the resulting unprecedented government support required. Our electricity demand is set to at least double over the next 13 years (Gov.uk) and international issues aren’t set to improve in the short term. The way that wholesale energy is priced doesn’t work very well and is extremely complex. It was established for traditional energy generation and no longer feels fit for purpose, particularly given our mix of renewable and non-renewable generation and results in higher prices for everyone.

To mitigate these risks, I would like the government to announce sweeping reform that incentivises the market to produce clean, low-cost, domestically produced electricity. A government review (Review of Electricity Market Arrangements - REMA) commenced last summer with the aim of “establishing a fit-for-purpose market design, identifying and implementing the reforms needed to GB electricity markets that work for businesses, industry, and household” (Gov.uk).

I would like to see a statement in the Budget committing to this process and supporting a reform that is commercial and transformative, a simplified system (as there are very few people who completely understand the whole energy market from generation to distribution and supply), and a clear timescale for implementation.

Support our domestic “salad” chain

Food shortages of cereal crops following the invasion of Ukraine, and most recently the lack of salad items in our supermarkets, bring home the stark reality of the deficiency of food security in UK. I would therefore like to see measures in this Budget to support our domestic agricultural industry and food production.

On leaving the EU, as many as 42% of farms failed to make a profit over and above the Basic Payments Scheme (NAO). With this scheme being gradually phased out between 2021 and 2027, the long-awaited replacement of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the UK, the Environmental Land Management schemes, were released in January (Gov.uk). Whilst these have been broadly welcomed in the industry, incredible challenges remain for UK farmers.

Labour shortages, increased fertiliser and diesel prices, and high cost of technology have all stretched the farming industry.

I would welcome a relaxation of the rules for attracting seasonal labour to the UK to support harvests of home-grown foods. The current system is highly structured with little flexibility, particularly for harvests early in the year. I would also like to see more support for access to agricultural technology, an area that has witnessed significantly increased costs being largely reliant on imported technology which is putting the UK behind the EU and US in access to this technology.  We expect our famers to provide high quality food for our table and act as stewards and guardians to protect and preserve our physical landscapes, often for incredibly low margins with little of the amount we pay for food making its way back to farmers. Helping our farmers run their businesses more efficiently is one step the government could take to help this.

A further welcome outcome from the Budget would be greater pressure on the food industry intermediaries and supermarkets to pay a fairer price for food to farmers. This could be incentivised by establishing supply chain codes of practice,and demanding that supermarkets publish more information about supply chains to encourage greater sharing of prices paid for food to farmers.

Invest in HMRC

The UK Tax Gap was estimated by HMRC at £32 billion for 2021 (Tax gap). This represents the difference between the amount of tax that in theory should be paid and the amount of tax actually received.

Reducing this gap is an easy way for the Government to increase revenue. Strengthening anti avoidance measures is a likely component of any budget to achieve this aim. However, HMRC needs to ensure it has the resources to capitalise fully on these measures.  

The pressures on HMRC arising out of the pandemic, caused by a mix of home working, implementing the Coronavirus job retention scheme and unprecedented levels of deferral of HMRC debt has increased HMRC workloads. It would therefore be great to see in the Budget increased support for HMRC’s teams to help resolve the delays that some businesses are facing.  

Investing in HMRC will support genuine businesses in remaining compliant with their tax obligations and allow them to quickly address any errors, whilst minimising loss of revenue from unscrupulous operators.

 

About Evelyn Partners

Evelyn Partners is the UK’s leading integrated wealth management and professional services group, created following the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson in 2020. With £59.1 billion of assets under management (as at 31 December 2023), we are one of the largest UK wealth managers ranked by client assets and the seventh largest accountancy firm by ranked by Group fee income (source: Accountancy Age 50+50 rankings, 2023).

We have a network of offices in 30 towns and cities across the UK, the Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands. Through our operating companies, we offer an extensive range of financial and professional services to individuals, family trusts, professional intermediaries, charities, and businesses.

Our purpose is to ‘place the power of good advice into more hands’, and we are uniquely well-placed to support clients with both their personal financial affairs and their business interests. Our personal wealth management services include financial planning, investment management, personal tax advice and, through Bestinvest, we have a multi award-winning online investment service for self-directed investors. For businesses, our wide range of services includes assurance and accounting, business tax advice, employee benefits, forensics

For further information please visit: www.evelyn.com

Disclaimer

By necessity, this briefing can only provide a short overview and it is essential to seek professional advice before applying the contents of this article. This briefing does not constitute advice nor a recommendation relating to the acquisition or disposal of investments. No responsibility can be taken for any loss arising from action taken or refrained from on the basis of this publication. 

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