Pre-Budget report: implications

BBC Radio 4's Money Box Saturday 13 October at 1204 BST On Radio 4 and Online Read the transcript

Moneybox examined the fine print of the government's tax and spending plans for 2008-2009, announced by the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, in the Commons on Tuesday.

In particular, who are the winners and losers in the changes to inheritance tax and capital gains tax?

To discuss the wider implications of the pre-budget report we were joined by John Whiting, tax partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Emma Chamberlain, a barrister and chair of the capital taxes committee of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and Anne Redston, fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

First we took a look at the changes to inheritance tax.

Further information:

Main points: Darling statement

Osborne criticises Budget 'panic'

Darling 'using Lib Dem air tax'

A budget for better or worse?

Inheritance tax threshold raised

External links and helplines

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Capital gains tax

Some businesses will find they have to pay higher rates of CGT

Changes were proposed to pension credit payments and tax credits, with varying responses, but the proposed changes to capital gains tax (CGT) came as a disappointment to some companies and entrepreneurs.

A new across-the-board
rate of 18% will replace the tapered rates that have, so
far, applied to different kinds of businesses.

Stephen Alambritis from the Federation of Small Businesses joined us to discuss what the impacts of the changes will be when the new flat rate is introduced next April.

Further information:

Money Box Live - pensions: your questions

Capital gains tax - not what it once was

Firms fearing higher tax burden

Capital gains tax relief scrapped

External links and helplines

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Tesco property

Tesco did not know it was technically acting as an estate agent

High Street estate agents
have scored a victory over Tesco, as the supermarket has been forced to suspend a key part of its home-selling service.

Since July, Tesco has been offering space on its property website to people who wanted to sell their homes.

But now, following advice from
the Office of Fair Trading, Tesco is pulling the plug, at least for the time being.

Bob Howard looked into the situation and asked how Tesco's defeat will affect consumers.

Further information:

Tesco suspends its property sales

Tesco moves into property sales

Will private property sales take off?

External links and helplines

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OTHER NEWS

Northern Rock's board is considering a proposal to re-brand the bank as "Virgin Money", put to it by a consortium headed by Sir Richard Branson.

Further information:

Virgin pursues Northern Rock deal

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BBC Radio 4's Money Box was broadcast on Saturday, 13 October 2007 at 1204 BST.

The programme was repeated on Sunday, 14 October 2007 at 2102 BST.