2026 Autumn Budget - what to expect
Chancellor John Healey will present the 2026 Autumn Budget today. We will keep you up to date on the key Autumn Budget announcements and supply a summary, which will appear on our website.
28 Oct 2026
Chancellor John Healey will present the 2026 Autumn Budget today. We will keep you up to date on the key Autumn Budget announcements and supply a summary, which will appear on our website.
Mr Healey has pledged to cut red tape to help UK businesses save up to £800 million. Ministers believe this will help to minimise 'unnecessary bureaucracy' for firms.
Reports have indicated that the Chancellor could make online retailers such as Amazon and eBay responsible for collecting the tax owed by traders using their platforms. The money raised by the measure could be used by the government to cut business rates for high street shops. Experts predict that the threshold at which small businesses start paying could rise from £12,000 to £18,000.
Ahead of his first Budget speech, the Chancellor confirmed that standing charges are to be scrapped from household gas bills for millions. The move will save 60% of households an average of £45 per year.
Analysts expect further details to be released on the Your First Home scheme, which is aimed at helping first-time homebuyers in England to purchase a property. The scheme will allow first-time buyers to buy a new build home with a deposit of 2.5%.
Experts predict that pensioners are set to be shielded from Income Tax via a new personal allowance. However, the government had already pledged to not tax people who only receive an income from the State Pension.
The Chancellor will also have to contend with rising government debt that has topped £3 trillion and increasing inflation, which rose more than forecast to 3.5% in September.
Think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) recently suggested that Mr Healey will need to raise around £35 billion to avoid cuts to government budgets and increase defence spending.
The government has ruled out changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rates or exemptions.
