The Chancellor has kept the main pension allowances unchanged but has confirmed a new cap on salary sacrifice arrangements that will apply from April 2029.

There had been heated speculation that the Chancellor would change the pension rules to help the government raise taxes, but no changes were announced to the annual allowance (which remains at £60,000) or to the carry-forward rules which can use up previous year’s annual allowances. The lump sum allowance has also remained unchanged at £268,275.

However, the Chancellor announced changes to the salary sacrifice arrangements for pension contributions. Salary sacrifice allows employees to reduce part of their salary or bonus in exchange for pension contributions, which is tax-efficient and helps save for retirement. However, this arrangement has disproportionately benefited higher earners with salary sacrifice costs expected to rise from £2.8 billion in 2016-17 to £8 billion by 2030-31.

From April 2029, the government plans to introduce a cap on salary sacrifice contributions which will limit the amount that can be sacrificed without incurring National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to £2,000 per employee. Salary sacrifice contributions above this amount will be subject to employer and employee NICs. Pension contributions that are not part of a salary sacrifice will remain unchanged.

The Chancellor reaffirmed the government's commitment to maintaining the Triple Lock on the State Pension throughout this parliament. This means that in April 2026, the State Pension will increase by 4.8%. The Triple Lock ensures that the State Pension rises by the highest of three measures: inflation, wage growth, or 2.5%, helping to protect pensioners' income against rising costs of living.

Also, starting from 6 April 2027, the government will close a loophole that allows individuals to use pensions for inheritance tax (IHT) planning. Under the new rules, any unspent pension pots will be brought within the scope of IHT.

The Chancellor has confirmed a series of duty increases on tobacco, vaping liquid, and alcohol that will take effect over the next year, with new rates intended to balance public health concerns with support for producers and the wider hospitality sector.

As part of the Autumn Budget measures the Chancellor announced that the duty rates on tobacco products were increased by 2% above the rate of inflation (based on RPI) effective from 6pm on 26 November 2025. The one-off increase of £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50g of other tobacco products and annual uprating of tobacco duty by RPI + 2% next year will take effect from 1 October 2026

It was also announced as part of last year’s Budget measures that the government will introduce a new duty at a flat rate excise duty of £2.20 per 10ml on all vaping liquid which will come into effect from 1 October 2026.

The Chancellor also confirmed that effective from 1 February 2026, the government will increase the Alcohol Duty rates in line with Retail Price Index inflation. The Small Producer Relief discounts will also be uprated, so eligible small producers receive relative duty reductions as now. These changes will also take effect from 1 February 2026.

The government considered various views, from cutting or freezing alcohol duties to increasing them above inflation. The decision they announced seeks to balance supporting alcohol producers and the hospitality sector with the need to reduce alcohol related harm.

In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor had been expected to increase fuel duty rates. However, she has extended the fuel duty cut for a further 6 months to help support households and businesses. 

The Chancellor said ‘I know that the cost of travelling to and from work is still too expensive, so I am extending the 5p cut until September 2026. And because I know that changes in wholesale prices are not always passed onto motorists, I am bringing in new rules to mandate petrol forecourts to share real-time prices through a new Fuel Finder.’ 

This means that the temporary cut in the rates of fuel duty introduced at Spring Statement in March 2022, and extended multiple times is to be extended for a further 6 months until 31 August 2026.

The planned inflation-based increase for 2026-27 will be cancelled. Together with the launch of Fuel Finder, these measures are expected to save families £89 next year compared to previous plans.

Starting in 2028-29, the government will introduce a High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) for residential properties in England valued at £2 million or more. This surcharge will be collected by local authorities, but the revenue will go to central government.

High Value Council Tax Surcharge Charging Structure

The surcharge amounts will be based on the value of the residential property in 2026. The surcharge will increase as the property value rises, up to a maximum charge of £7,500 for properties valued over £5 million.

According to HM Treasury figures, the surcharge will apply to fewer than 1% of properties in England. Homeowners, not tenants, will be liable for the surcharge, which will be in addition to their existing Council Tax. Social housing will be excluded.

Properties above the £2 million threshold will be reassessed every five years by the Valuation Office. The surcharge rates will increase annually in line with CPI inflation starting in 2029-30.

This new charge is expected to raise around £430 million annually for local government services. Local authorities will be compensated for the additional costs of administering the surcharge. A public consultation on further details, including reliefs and exemptions, will take place next year.

The chancellor Rachel Reeves announced as part of the Autumn Budget measures that the Income Tax thresholds will be maintained at their current levels for a further three years until April 2031. This will see the personal tax allowance frozen at £12,570 through to April 2031 across the UK. In addition, the higher rate threshold will remain at £50,270 (there are differences in Scotland). National Insurance thresholds will also remain frozen until 2031.

This means that more taxpayers will be pushed into paying higher taxes as income increases at a far faster rate than the frozen tax bands. This phenomenon is known as fiscal drag. The freezing of most of the Income Tax allowance and rates at current levels until 2031 means that many taxpayers will pay more Income Tax as their income increases with no corresponding increases in their allowances and more taxpayers will see their taxable income boosted into the 40%, or 45%, Income Tax bands.

The existing thresholds for the basic rate, higher rates and additional rates of tax have also been frozen where income is derived from employment or self-employment. However, the government will create separate tax rates for property, savings & dividend income.

• Tax on most dividend income will increase by 2% from April 2026. The ordinary rate will rise from 8.75% to 10.75%, and the upper rate from 33.75% to 35.75%. The additional rate will remain unchanged at 39.35%.

The changes to the tax rates for property and savings income will take effect from April 2027.

• From 2027-28, the property basic rate will be 22%, the property higher rate will be 42%, and the property additional rate will be 47%. These rates will apply across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• From 2027-28, the savings basic rate will be increased to 22%, the savings higher rate will be increased to 42% and the savings additional rate will be increased to 47%.

The current rules that allow Basic Rate taxpayers to receive £1,000 of interest without paying tax, and Higher Rate taxpayers to receive £500 without paying tax are set to remain as is the Starting Rate for Savings of up to £5,000 for lower earners.