Is the reaction to national insurance hikes justified?
The Independent|November 02, 2024
It should probably come as no surprise that what the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, once described as “a tax on jobs” has turned out to be... a tax on jobs.
SEAN O'GRADY
Is the reaction to national insurance hikes justified?

Her decision in the Budget to raise up to £25bn from an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) has obviously proved controversial.

A heated but largely inconclusive debate has surrounded the question of whether the move violates Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise taxes for “working people”. But now the change is coming under sustained attack from a number of sectors with tight profit margins, where the employment of lower-paid and/or part-time workers means an immediately higher tax bill for the employers.

In particular, the “secondary threshold” – the level at which employers become liable to pay national insurance on each employee’s salary – will come down from £9,100 per year to £5,000 per year. This is presenting notable difficulties in the health sector...

Who is complaining?

Denne historien er fra November 02, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 02, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE INDEPENDENTSe alt
DeChambeau is an unlikely winner in game's civil war
The Independent

DeChambeau is an unlikely winner in game's civil war

As golf's civil war rumbles on, with any optimism that came from the announcement in June 2023 that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour had a framework agreement in place for a merger having long since dissipated, it's hard to argue that the situation has created many winners.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Mbappe looks a spare part in the Real Madrid machine
The Independent

Mbappe looks a spare part in the Real Madrid machine

Real Madrid are the kings of Europe, that much was true even before La Decimoquinta.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Sign on the dotted line: the £12m steal and £50m dud
The Independent

Sign on the dotted line: the £12m steal and £50m dud

The best and worst Premier League transfers this season

time-read
6 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Why are there no trains running on Christmas Day?
The Independent

Why are there no trains running on Christmas Day?

Q Why don't any trains run on Christmas Day in the UK? Everywhere else on the European continent trains run on 25 December.

time-read
1 min  |
December 25, 2024
The flightmare before Christmas: why December disruption is so painful
The Independent

The flightmare before Christmas: why December disruption is so painful

Air traffic control language is commendably succinct. The advisory message that was sent out by the US Command Center at 11.50am GMT on Christmas Eve read: “Nationwide ground stop for all AAL Main and Subs”.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 25, 2024
CLAUSE FOR CONCERN
The Independent

CLAUSE FOR CONCERN

A new study suggests lying about Santa is not only 'unethical' but also bad parenting. Charlotte Cripps finds out if telling a festive fib should really earn you a spot on the naughty list

time-read
5 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks after explosion
The Independent

Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks after explosion

A US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea overnight after an explosion ripped through the engine room, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed.

time-read
1 min  |
December 25, 2024
Protests in Syria erupt after Christmas tree set on fire
The Independent

Protests in Syria erupt after Christmas tree set on fire

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Syria after foreign fighters burned down a Christmas tree in the centre of the country, sparking concerns about sectarian violence.

time-read
1 min  |
December 25, 2024
The Independent

Canal threat is latest drama in Trump's Panama history

Donald Trump strained North American diplomatic relations over the weekend with a threat to retake the Panama Canal, two and a half decades after the US transferred control of the vital global trade route to Panama.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for teenage activist
The Independent

Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for teenage activist

A 19-year-old pro-democracy activist who went from finishing secondary school in the UK to becoming one of Hong Kong's most wanted critics has vowed that she will not be silenced by Chinese fear and suppression.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 25, 2024