Share Sounds. related to Tax

With all the shenanigans in Westminster last week you could be forgiven for failing to register we had a Spring Statement at all – let alone clocked its finer points. Editor Simon Lambert, assistant editor Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost fill you in on what you may have missed. It includes forecasts from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility on the UK economy, along with income growth, interest rates, the pound and house prices. We also have the true scale of the tax burden on families and businesses, with the overall tax take equivalent to 34.6% of Britain's economy, a level not seen since Harold Wilson was Prime Minister. Income tax receipts will rise nearly £54billion in the next five years, with steep rises forecast for National Insurance, VAT and Corporation Tax. A hike in probate 'fees' was waved through without a vote or debate in parliament by classifying it as a fee not a tax – but the ONS is now calling it a tax. The OBR also reveals that two flagship savings schemes have not been anywhere near as popular as planned, while boilers are out – as are feed-in tariffs from solar panels.

Inheritance tax is a conundrum. Just 5 per cent of estates currently incur it but it’s been voted Britain’s most unfair major tax. Even with the number of people hit by it expected to double, it seems we just don’t like the concept. It’s no wonder then that the Chancellor commissioned a report into it from the Office of Tax Simplification, but no one forecast that to be as damning about the system as it was. It’s complicated, more than ten times as many bereaved families have to fill in forms as pay it, and it turns out the very rich pay proportionally less than those directly below them. Does that make inheritance tax ripe for a change and how could it be adjusted? Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss that on this week’s podcast. Also, on the show they discuss why tenants are still waiting for a fees ban, whether the latest move to curb private parking tickets goes far enough and the least reliable cars you can buy second hand. And finally, we’ve all heard the one about how airlines might use your browsing history to hike flight costs, but have you heard about error fares that can get you somewhere for a fraction of the normal price? And more to the point are both these true. We bust five flight booking myths.

The National Health Service is 70 years old this year and most of us are proud of the British institution, leaning on it in our times of need. However, we’re living longer with more complex problems and the service keeps crying out that it needs more money. Where does it come from? Do we make cost-cuttings or plough lots of money in, do we increase income tax, make the rich pay, or introduce a new special ring-fenced tax? Theresa May announced plans for £20.5billion-a-year cash boost – but was a little short on the detail. She hinted at tax rises and mentioned a ‘Brexit dividend’. This is Money editor Simon Lambert, along with consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce and presenter Georgie Frost look at ways to fix the NHS in the latest podcast.

Good news. Chances are you just got a tax cut. Well an income tax cut at least, problem is your council tax is likely to be rising and if you are an investor the Government is after more of your dividends, or if you’re a landlord it wants your rental income. So who are the winners and losers of the new tax year that rolled round on 6 April? And what are the candidates for dumbest bits of Britain’s tax code. In this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and George Frost take a look at who is getting the biggest tax cut and who is being hit.

The Chancellor asked for ideas for inheritance tax to be simplified this week, but should we even have a death tax at all? On this week’s podcast Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost look at how it works, why it is unpopular, and how you can avoid it. Simon suggests his plan to simplify it and get more people paying by removing those fiddly reliefs and slashing the rate to 20%. But we also consider the argument for taxing inheritance (and unearned property wealth) more heavily. Later on the podcast, we discuss the problem of interest-only timebomb mortgages and whether homeowners are burying their heads in the sand. Also on the agenda is what’s wrong with M&S and investing in emerging markets and why they could still be a good long-term bet, even after funds rose almost 30% last year.

In this weeks Inside Business we discuss the recent HSBC allegations, as the National Crime Agency and the Serious Fraud Office look to investigate HSBC's recent dealings with the Gupta Family in South Africa. We spoke with Lord Peter Hain of Neath who took these accusations to the House of Lords and also we spoke with vocal anti corruption whistle blower Nicholas Wilson about other HSBC related investigations. As always we finish the show with a word from a regular commentator BBC World Service Reporter Howard Mustoe.

In the first episode of Inside business we get to grips with the legislation and investigation of business in all its forms. This week we're discussing tax havens with a retrospective report on the last few years concerning tax avoidance. We also spoke with BBC World Service Business Reporter Howard Mustoe to get to grips with the report released last week from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which warns that the use of tax havens by companies and individuals to avoid paying tax will soon become "unacceptable."

Welcome to the This is Money Show on Share Radio. The UK parties are now getting into full election mode and already we’ve seen a range of policy suggestions, debates and u-turns appearing. From energy price caps to scrapping death duty hikes we’ll but looking at what all these could mean for the finances of voters. Also weighing in on the French election and GDP Georgie Frost is joined by Editor Simon Lambert and Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard Straus. Plus it’s your final week to spend the old paper five pound note.

Welcome to the This is Money Show on Share Radio, brought to you in partnership with NS&I. It’s the start of a new financial year and with it a number of new tax changes and price hikes. Taking an Easter themed look through what all this means for the pound in your pocket Georgie Frost is joined by Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard Straus and Consumer Affairs Editor Lee Boyce. Plus we put the biggest retailers to the test with the annual Easter taste test.

Catch up with the latest Twitter chat from the UK Money Blogger community with founder of Be Clever with Your Cash Andy Webb. This week they look at what the changes coming this financial year will mean for the pound in our pockets.