What business owners DO NOT want to see announced in the ‘Halloween’ Budget

"For the Bank of England to do their part and continue the rate cut cycle, it is imperative that the government delivers a fully funded Budget. The one thing I would not want to see is a return to unfunded expenditure. The Autumn Budget should be at least neutral on income and expenditure. The UK government needs to ensure potential bond buyers that the heydays of the Tories are well and truly gone."

"Don't, whatever you do, make pensions any more complicated than they already are. It really is that simple. If you do, you risk alienating even more people from saving for their futures."

"I am very concerned about the whole property industry. Labour's reforms on the rented sector are driving out landlords. They are pushing though the Rentors Reform Act but not consulting with lenders who are strict on criteria meaning the housing crisis in the rental sector is going to become horrific. With low numbers of social housing taking private landlords out of the market, this will create massive issues for the UK. My other concern is that taxing property sales further via stamp duty will slow the market right down. There needs to be reform in how we sell and buy property, not just adding layers of taxation to a broken system."

""Whenever there's talk of increasing business taxes, there's little nuance to consider the impact this has on struggling microbusinesses and the self-employed, who are already taxed twice in the form of income tax and corporation tax and typically lack any protections such as sick pay, holiday pay, pensions or parental leave. I'd like to see more support for smaller businesses and sole traders, to rebuild the economy from the bottom up, supporting entrepreneurship and restarting the engine of growth, powered by the millions of people who are investing in the economy by creating new businesses and jobs." "

"One thing I would not like to see in the forthcoming Autumn Budget is any increase to the taxation of dividends, especially for small companies with less than £2 million turnover. Dividends used to provide a very attractive way for business owners to take reward for the risks they were taking, and any increase of dividend taxation could act to disincentivise people from embarking into the world of running a small business. That, in turn, will have a massive impact on this country's growth prospects."

"Don't touch pensions without a plan. If Labour start taxing when you put into a pension then they need a damn good transition plan to ensure you don't get taxed again on withdrawal. They could end up messing up the whole thing by trying to pull in taxes for the short-term but leaving us in a mess down the line."

"Aside from the fear of dramatic unconsidered changes being announced that could completely destabilise the economy and bring the property market to its knees, the main policy concern will be the expected Capital Gains Tax changes that will hammer another nail into the coffin of UK landlords."

"The rumoured capital gains tax hike to match income tax rates, potentially reaching 45%, is a grave concern for property investors. This move would compound the challenges landlords already face, including rising interest rates and stringent regulations. We're witnessing a worrying trend of investors liquidating portfolios, while the UK's burdensome tax environment prompts wealthy individuals to consider relocating. If implemented, this CGT increase could trigger a mass exodus from the private rented sector, exacerbating housing shortages and potentially inflating rents. This short-sighted measure risks undermining the very market it aims to regulate. It's crucial for the Chancellor to consider the long-term implications on the property market, housing availability, and the broader economy before making such drastic changes to CGT rates."

"The one thing I would not want to see is any gimmicky new "support" around housing, especially if it only helps one area of the market, like new build, and does little more than drive property prices even higher. Whilst the government does need to act around housing, it needs to be underpinned by a solid consultation process with all the relevant stakeholders to produce something that is effective in the long term, not just a "quick win" that does little for homeowners, or prospective homeowners, but secures the government some positive headlines in the short term."

"So many disabled people have to work for themselves due to discrimination by employers and a lack of reasonable adjustments. And yet, it already costs disabled households an additional £1,010 per month just to reach the same standard of living as non-disabled families (Scope). My plea to the Chancellor is: please don't increase the financial burden of being disabled by taxing us even more. Disabled business owners are trying to find a way to contribute to the economy and support ourselves in spite of the barriers placed in our way by employers. We cannot absorb any more costs." "