AUTUMN BUDGET 2026

Autumn Budget 2026: your questions, answered in pounds

The Budget is on Wednesday 28 October 2026. On the day, each question below gets a two-sentence answer, a worked example in pounds for an owner-managed business, the date it takes effect and who it does not affect.

By Alan Davidson | Last updated 22 October 2026

The figures will come from the Budget documents HM Treasury and HMRC publish on GOV.UK on the day, and a Chartered Accountant at OutRise checks each page before it goes up. Until then there are no answers here, and no guesses about what the Budget will contain.

Paying yourself

Has the Budget changed how I should pay myself in salary and dividends?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
Is corporation tax going up? What will my company pay from April 2027?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
Does the £2,000 salary sacrifice cap apply to my company's pension contributions?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
Should I take extra dividends before 5 April to beat a dividend tax rise?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
Is it worth leaving profits in my company, or taking them out, after the Budget?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Selling and succession

If I sell my business next year, how much tax will I pay after the Budget?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
Will my family pay inheritance tax on the company when I die?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
What did the Budget change for selling my company to an employee ownership trust?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Premises

What did the Budget do to business rates for my premises?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Employing people

Did employer's National Insurance change? What does each employee cost me now?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
What is the new minimum wage from April 2027 and what will it cost me?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Sharing ownership

Did the Budget change EMI share options for my key staff?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

VAT

Did the Budget change VAT? What does it mean for my prices and cash flow?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Investing in the business

Can I still write off new equipment and vans against tax after the Budget?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Your sector

What did the Budget change for my physio or therapy clinic?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.
What did the Budget change for my professional services firm?
Answer added on Budget day, 28 October 2026.

Autumn Budget 2026: your questions, answered in pounds

Has the Budget changed how I should pay myself in salary and dividends?

Is corporation tax going up? What will my company pay from April 2027?

Does the £2,000 salary sacrifice cap apply to my company's pension contributions?

Should I take extra dividends before 5 April to beat a dividend tax rise?

Is it worth leaving profits in my company, or taking them out, after the Budget?

If I sell my business next year, how much tax will I pay after the Budget?

Will my family pay inheritance tax on the company when I die?

What did the Budget change for selling my company to an employee ownership trust?

What did the Budget do to business rates for my premises?

Did employer's National Insurance change? What does each employee cost me now?

What is the new minimum wage from April 2027 and what will it cost me?

Did the Budget change EMI share options for my key staff?

Did the Budget change VAT? What does it mean for my prices and cash flow?

Can I still write off new equipment and vans against tax after the Budget?

What did the Budget change for my physio or therapy clinic?

What did the Budget change for my professional services firm?