A fair, predictable tax system would raise more revenue than frequent, reactive changes that mainly benefit consultants navigating constant complexity.
Without proper funding, many UK institutions operate below capacity, while long-term projects are often sacrificed for short-term priorities, and successful sectors risk repeated taxation.
History offers a warning in the window tax (1696–1851), introduced to target the wealthy but widely applied, even to working-class homes, and now remembered as one of Britain’s most unpopular taxes.
From April 2026 (and 2027 for pensions), further incremental tax changes are being introduced. Over time, these measures could prove almost as damaging to national wellbeing as the historic window tax. They include tighter IHT rules on AIM investments, farming reliefs, and potentially pensions. The concern is a gradual erosion through repeated changes, leaving little room to reverse course.