This document sets out the assumptions and methodologies underlying costings for tax and Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) policy decisions announced since Autumn Statement 2011, where those policies have a greater than negligible impact on public finances. The costing for the change from 50% to 45% additional rate of income tax can be found in the HMRC's additional rate evaluation document (ISBN 9780108511516). This sets out considerable detail on the additional rate, including estimates of forestalling, other behavioural responses and the steady state yield. Chapter 2, presents detailed information on the key data and assumptions underpinning the costing policies in the 2012 Budget. Each note sets out the description of the measure, the base, the methodology for the costing and highlights any areas of additional uncertainty. Annex A sets out the indexation assumptions included on the public finances forecast baseline, including all pre-announcements

The 2012 budget, divided into two chapters and four annexes, sets out the Government's action to reform the tax system and also announces the next stages in their plans for the supply side of the economy alongside the strategy of further action in the three key areas for: (i) a stable economy; (ii) a fairer, more efficient and simpler tax system; (iii) further reforms to growth. Chapter 1, sets out the measures to realise these goals. Chapter 2, provides budget policy decisions. Announcements include: the state pension age will increase in the future to take account of increases in longevity; the economy will experience subdued but positive growth, with recovery likely to be particularly uneven this year; the Government will increase the personal allowance by a further £1,100 in April 2013, making the first £10,000 for those on low and middle income tax free; Child Benefit will be withdrawn through an income tax charge, and that the charge will only apply to households where someone has an income over £50,000 a year; the State Pension will be reformed into a single tier pension for future pensioners; that the top rate tax of income tax will be reduced from 50% to 45% from April 2012 and corporation tax by 1% from April 2012; there will be an introduction of a new Stamp Duty Land Tax rate of 7% for residential properties over £2 million and 15% to be applied to non-natural persons, such as companies taking effect from 21 March 2012, with consultation on the introduction of an annual charge; the capital gains tax regime will extend to the disposal of UK residential property by non-residents; around 20 million taxpayers from 2014-15 will be provided with a new Personal Tax Statement, detailing income tax and national insurance payments. The Government is to invest £60 million to establish a UK centre for aerodynamics and further support Network Rail to invest £130 million in the Northern Hub rail scheme. There will be consultation on simplifying Carbon Reduction Commitment energy efficiency scheme to support business. The measures outlined cover the areas of personal tax; corporate taxes; tax measures affecting property, pensions, charities; indirect taxes; tax reliefs; anti-avoidance; tax administration and supply side reform.

This report on the Budget 2012 highlights a number of areas of concern as well as outlining recommendations for Government action and future Treasury Committee activity. On macroeconomic policy the report covers macroprudential rules, the output gap, quantitative easing, and wider economic risks. Taxation matters examined include personal tax statements, retrospective taxation, and the 45p tax rate. Other sections are concerned with the child benefit system, leaks, and the timing of the Budget.

The federal government wastes your tax dollars worse than a drunken sailor on shore leave. The 1984 Grace Commission uncovered that the Department of Defense spent $640 for a toilet seat and $436 for a hammer. Twenty years later things weren't much better. In 2004, Congress spent a record-breaking $22.9 billion dollars of your money on 10,656 of their pork-barrel projects. The war on terror has a lot to do with the record $413 billion in deficit spending, but it's also the result of pork over the last 18 years the likes of: - $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa - $102 million to study screwworms which were long ago eradicated from American soil - $273,000 to combat goth culture in Missouri - $2.2 million to renovate the North Pole (Lucky for Santa!) - $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in California - $1 million for ornamental fish research Funny in some instances and jaw-droppingly stupid and wasteful in others, The Pig Book proves one thing about Capitol Hill: pork is king!

In this report the Treasury Committee makes recommendations on pensions, savings, HMRC debt recovery powers and housing. The greater flexibility and choice provided by the proposed pension reforms is welcomed. The 'guidance guarantee' is an important part of making sure that consumers benefit from increased choice. It should be measured against a set of recommended principles to ensure its effectiveness. The pensions reforms are also likely to lead to financial innovation. Following the financial crisis, and the mis-selling scandals, the reputation of the industry is under scrutiny. With regard to savings - double taxation has long been a deterrent to some forms of saving. With the enhanced flexibility for those saving there may now be scope in the long term for bringing the tax treatment of savings and pensions together to create a 'single savings' vehicle. The proposal to grant the power to HMRC to take money directly from people's bank accounts is extremely concerning. Exceptional powers such as this require prior independent oversight. With regard to housing, the Help to Buy scheme, at least in the short-to-medium term, could raise house prices. There is also the risk that withdrawal of Help to Buy may have a distorting effect on the housing market. The need to address these difficulties places a particular responsibility on the FPC, as well as the Government, for detecting and addressing the financial stability risks arising from the housing market. There are also reservations about any extension of retrospection in the tax system. Retrospection should be considered only in wholly exceptional circumstances

This report sets out forecasts for the period to 2017-18 and also assesses whether the Government is on course to meet its medium-term fiscal objectives. The economy has performed less strongly than forecast in March 2012 (Cm. 8303, ISBN 9780101830324) and GDP is forecast to fall by 0.1% in 2012 and then to grow by 1.2% in 2013, 2.0% in 2014, 2.7% in 2016 and 2.8% in 2017. Public sector net borrowing (PSNB) is forecast at £108 billion or 6.9% of GDP this year (excluding the transfer of the Royal Mail's historic pension deficit into the public sector). PSNB is then forecast to decline to £31 billion or 1.6% of GDP by 20017-18. Public sector net debt (PSND) is now expected to peak at 79.9% of GDP in 2015-16 meaning the Government will miss its supplementary target of PSND falling as a share of GDP between 2014-15 and 2015-16. Other developments since the March 2012 forecasts include: the unemployment rate has fallen to 7.8%, and the overall level of employment rose to 29.6 million in the three months to September. Around half the increase since 2011 has been driven by a rise in self-employment and part-time employees, though total hours worked per week have also risen. The situation in the euro area continues to weigh on confidence and trade. Inflation is also likely to be higher in the short term, reducing the growth of real household disposable income and consumption. The Government has a greater than 50% chance of hitting its fiscal mandate.

This report presents the results of the assessment of the organisation of the central government of Australia. The study looks at reforms that are aimed at improving the quality of services (more value) and efficiency (less money) in central government.

In this report the Treasury Committee examine some of the risks and uncertainties in the approach taken by the Chancellor in the June 2010 Budget. The June Budget was more radical towards debt reduction than that taken by the previous government, but it also signalled a move to rebalance the economy away from the public and toward the private sector. The Committee expresses concern that there might be a slight increase in the chance of near-term negative growth, and that the Office for Budget Responsibility's independence has been called into question. It notes that net trade is not expected to contribute positively to GDP growth in 2010, and that the VAT increase will affect inflation. On welfare, the proposals to reduce housing benefit for Jobseeker's Allowance claimants after one year will affect some 300,000 people, and the Committee calls for fuller information about those affected, especially households with children. The aim to make the measures fair in absolute terms and as a proportion of income is supported, though the Committee is concerned that the poorest fare slightly less well than middle income groups. The inclusion of charts showing the distributional effects of the Budget is welcomed. The Committee also comments on the problems faced by small and medium sized enterprise in raising credit and on the bank levy. The Chancellor's statement that he has built an element of caution into the fiscal mandate is taken as a signal that he would introduce measures to stimulate the economy if economic conditions demanded.