29/05/2026
Media Tax Highlights - Friday 29 May 2026
Green taxes
Ministers in talks over shelving carbon tax on fertiliser to curb UK food inflation - The Guardian (Helena Horton and Jessica Elgot)
Ministers are reported to be in discussions about suspending a carbon tax on fertilisers, due to come into effect early next year, in an effort to curb food inflation. The move would be part of a package of measures, including the suspension of import tariffs on a range of foods including bread, biscuits and bananas. Government sources said they were looking at suspending tariffs on a range of fertilisers in order to discourage farmers from leaving fields fallow.
Employment taxes
Britain cannot afford a lost generation: Retailers sound alarm as youth joblessness tops 1m - Daily Mail (Emily Hawkins)
The Mail reports that retailers are struggling to hire young people as tax increases, including in employer national insurance contributions, and changes to workers' rights, impact the job market. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, notes that 1.01 million people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment, or training, the highest total since 2013.
"Tax trap" warning for millions of Brits struggling with costs -
- Daily Star (Rory Poulter)
Research by Omnisend shows that 25% of UK adults have additional income sources, with “side hustles” contributing £8.5 billion a month to the economy. Experts have warned that many people may not realise supplementary income can attract HMRC scrutiny.
Scotland
SNP Stephen Flynn on Scottish income tax, business rates, Kate Forbes - The Herald (Ian McConnell)
Individuals who have put more into the Scottish income tax system up until now have “perhaps not got as much left to give as some other people would like to think that they do”, says the new Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn in an interview with The Herald. He added: “I think it’s important, whether it’s income tax or whether it’s non-domestic rates… we need to be clear that there’s going to be a direction of travel of proper engagement both with the business community and with wider society about where we seek to go and how we do that in a way which allows us to have sustainable finances to invest in the infrastructure and capital projects.”
John Swinney told Scotland needs 'post-election reality check' on tax or public services will suffer - Daily Record (Chris McCall)
The Scottish Greens have urged First Minister John Swinney to increase taxes on the wealthy instead of cutting public sector jobs. Jamie Livingstone of Tax Justice Scotland argues that Scotland should "start taxing wealth properly to help fund the fairer future people were promised." Campaigners said the election earlier this month had "largely sidestepped the reality of Scotland’s public finance challenge".
Property taxes
Labour hits rural landlords with ‘nice pub tax’ -
- The Daily Telegraph (Nick Gutteridge)
Rural pubs are facing a new "nice pub tax" under guidelines from HMRC. This tax targets establishments in attractive locations or those with community significance, leading to higher business rates. Nearly 40,000 pubs are undergoing revaluation, which could significantly increase their tax bills. The Telegraph is running a “Save Our Pubs” campaign, which calls on the Chancellor to cut the tax burden on struggling landlords.
Burnham and the case for a land value tax -
- Financial Times (Murad Qureshi)
In a letter to the FT, Murad Qureshi, chair of Labour Land Campaign, advocates for a land value tax, saying there is evidence that such levies stimulate productive activity and drive economic growth. “Tax reform is critical to fund progressive social care and council house building,” he writes. “History demonstrates that a substantial land value tax (LVT) stimulates productive activity and drives economic growth”.
Pensions
UK households warned of 67% ‘double tax’ as Rachel Reeves makes change - Daily Express (Brian Dillon)
The Express highlights that changes to tax rules due in April 2027 would see the pension pots of people who are over 75 when they die subject to both inheritance tax and income tax, leading to what critics call a "double tax" of up to around 67%. The move has drawn criticism, as pots were previously seen as a tax-efficient way for people to store money. HMRC has said it will begin a public campaign to explain the changes to everyone affected towards the end of this year. Following that, it will publish final official guidance and support materials in spring 2027.