A tax-raising Budget

The Red Book has arrived – and with it the magical Table 1.2, proof this is a tax-raising budget. We’ll all collectively pay the government £140m less in the next financial year 2008-09 but £790m more in 2009-10 and £1.86bn more in 2010-11. This is net increases. Here are the biggest tax rises (in the year 2008-09, unless otherwise stated)

1) Alcohol – £400m then £505m then £625m
2) Vehicle Excise Duty: £465m in 2009-10 and £735m in 2010-11
3) Biofuels: a £550m tax rise by 2010-11
4) “Double taxation treaties” – £200m
5) North Sea “fiscal regime modernisation” £25m tax cut. Sounds suspicious? Well, it is… Because
6) North Sea “abuse of management expense rules” (yes, yet another hit) £140m, rising to £175m next year and £175m year after
7) Aviation: another £40m which only kicks in 2010-11.