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Labour Party calls for VAT cut

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28th Sep 2011
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Labour pledged a return to 17.5% VAT, a national insurance tax break and a repeat of the bank bonus tax at this year’s party conference.

Speaking at the event in Liverpool, shadow chancellor Ed Balls announced five steps a government must adopt to create a “steadier, more balanced plan to get our deficit down and take immediate action to support the economy and create jobs”.
The Chancellor attributed recent economic instability to January's 20% VAT rise. As part of his five-step plan, Balls proposed a return of VAT to 17.5% and an immediate one-year cut to 5% for home improvements, repairs and maintenance. 
The Federation of Small Businesses disagreed with Labour's plans for VAT. “While we agree with Labour that something needs to be done, we believe that a full reversal of the VAT rise is not the answer,” said FSB national chairman John Walker.

Targeted VAT cuts to 5% for construction and tourism businesses would have more impact on growth and generate more revenues for the Treasury, he argued.

AccountingWEB members were also sceptical about the VAT cut.  Several members pointed out in an Any Answers thread this week that the previous cut to 15% in 2008 produced minimal growth. One member argued: "If you cut the main rate of VAT on everything or on specific industries (such as retail or construction) all it does is encourage a little more demand within the period that VAT is cut, to the detriment of the periods shortly before/after the VAT cut."  
The fifth point of the plan advocated replacing the Tories’ regional NIC holiday with a one-year national insurance break for every small firm which takes on extra employees. The regional concession introduced by Chancellor George Osborne in the 2010 Budget exempted small firms (outside London, the South East and the East) taking on up to 10 employees from having to pay their NICs.
Labour’s extended NIC concession would be paid with cash left over from the government’s failed national insurance rebate fund, Balls said.
In his speech to the conference, Labour leader Ed Milliband also criticised Osborne’s plans to cut Corporation Tax for banks as the “wrong choice”. The shadow chancellor backed this up by announcing his intention to continue with the bank bonus tax.

“It can’t be right to be cutting taxes on the banks when almost one in five young people are now out of work,” Balls argued. Money collected from the tax would be used to build 25,000 affordable homes and would guarantee a job for 10,000 young people.  

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By Owain_Glyndwr
28th Sep 2011 18:59

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Listening to Milliaband and his sidekick Ed Balls talk about the economy is like being lectured on how to pull a woman by the Pope. They are talking about something they know nothing about.

 

 

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By listerramjet
29th Sep 2011 12:36

policies?

I am surprised you managed to find a policy in amongst all the hot air.  Someone could make a killing with 'Balls 5 point plan toilet paper'.  About the most productive thing you could do with it!

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By markabacus
30th Sep 2011 12:01

Not another change Pleaseeeeeeeeee

Oh good grief, please not another change to the Vat rate! It's such a pain in the **** dealing with our bookkeeping clients especially those on cash accounting.

Also I find it amazing how smart the opposition have become now they are no longer in Government. What a great shame they weren't so clever during the 13yrs they spent draining the coffers and maxing the Country's credit cards. They didn't cause the fin'l crash but they certainly helped to make it worse but not saving for a rainy day.

 

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By yorkiehurst
30th Sep 2011 13:12

what a load of balls

you only need cast an eye over his published office expenses, and the 'double claiming' he did/does there to convince you we should NEVER listen to this man or allow him access to any of our remaining wealth again!

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