Treasury ‘eyeing tax hikes of £20 billion’ to deal with the coronavirus costs

TAX hikes of up to £20 billion are being considered by the Treasury to deal with the cost of the coronavirus crisis, it has been reported.

Ministers are looking at raising capital gains tax and corporation tax in the November Budget, according to the Sunday Times.

The money could be clawed back from pensions, businesses, the wealthy, and foreign aid, the newspaper said.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering hiking corporation tax from 19per cent to 24% in order to boost revenue by £12 billion next year, the report indicated.

Capital gains tax might also be paid at the same rate as income tax, under the ideas being looked at.

Meanwhile, pension tax relief could be “slashed” under measures being considered by the Treasury to help pay for the Covid-19 crisis, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The newspaper also said that raising fuel and other duties was also being looked at.

A revamp of the inheritance tax system and the introduction of an online sales tax was also being considered.

The international development budget could also be caught up in Treasury reappraisals due to the cost of the virus pandemic, it was claimed. The aid budget has already been cut by £2.9 billion from £15.8 billion this year, due to the contraction in the economy caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, the Government insists it still meets its obligation to provide 0.7% of gross national income

(GNI) to international development.

Treasury sources yesterday said that they do not comment on what may, or may not be, in the upcoming Budget.

Former Cabinet minister Damian Green, who served as then prime minister Theresa May’s de facto deputy, said that he was wary about any changes to the so-called pensions “triple lock”.

The lock means the state pension increases each year in line with either wages, inflation or 2.5%, depending on which of the three figures is highest.

Mr Green told Times Radio: “I would be very wary of the Government going down that route. It was a manifesto commitment to keep it.

“I think this raft of things... feels like a standard pre-budget, Treasury kite-flying to see what people will make of this.”

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury refused to be drawn on reports that the Government is eyeing the £20 billion tax hike.

Stephen Barclay insisted that such issues were a matter for the Budget.

Mr Barclay told Times Radio: “Treasury ministers don’t get into what a Budget will or will not do.

“And particularly on tax measures ahead of that, that’s for the Chancellor, the Budget.

“There is always four moving parts to this.

“The key objective within the Treasury is to get growth.

“There is then a balance between the other three moving parts of debt, of spending, spending feeding into that, and tax.”