For months businesses have been anticipating the impact of a range of tax and regulatory measures announced by the government in the budget and in the weeks since.
They will start to apply to companies, employees and ultimately consumers from April.
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Here we take a look at the various measures imposed either from 1 April, or the start of the new financial year on 6 April.
Business rates
The controversial new business rates regime applies from 1 April.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the changes would deliver “permanently lower” rates for retail, hospitality and leisure, paid for by the largest properties, including online retailers’ warehouses. Many business groups point out they will still lead to higher bills.
Business rates, paid on bricks-and-mortar premises, are the means by which companies contribute to local government funding and are forecast to contribute £34bn in 2026-27.
Rates are worked out by applying a “multiplier”, expressed as pence in the pound, to the “rateable value” of the property.
While the chancellor was right to say she had brought multipliers down, it coincided with the triennial revaluation of business properties, the first since the pandemic, which resulted in dramatic increases in rateable values.
The combination of a smaller multiplier with a much higher value meant higher bills, with publicans and hoteliers claiming average valuation increases of more than 30%.
Faced with a backlash from landlords and political opponents, Ms Reeves announced a 15% cut to rates for pubs and live music…
