Well, as I'm sure you all know, today is Mr Brown's big day with his budget.

Do you watch it?
Do you understand what he is on about?
What do you look for in the budget?
Are you just selfish and hope that he does right for your family, or do you look at the wider picture?

Personally, I try to watch it but alot of the times I have no idea what he is on about.
All this GNP and stuff. I have a very basic understanding of it all.
I think I am probably selfish and see what my family can benefit from.
But alot of that is because I don't understand about the whole budget all that business of whether Gordon is spending more than he is borrowing, befuddles me.:wacko:

But I always find that if we do, as a family get any increases, such as family credit or the like, it is always taken away by some other tax, and we are probably no better off.

The whole thing confuses me I dont pay much attention, so long as I can pay the bills and afford the weekly shop I'm content. :)

I try and listen to it if poss, or watch it on the telly.

I dont understand most of it, but the bits im interested in stand out from the rest.

Just to be political though - people like me (medium earners, no kids etc) dont seem to get anything at all. All the good stuff is for families with kids or pensioners .... not that i mind that in the slightest (i have plenty of kids in the family and elderly rellies that need help), but it would be nice to hear something that would directly effect me and mine in a postive manner rather than everything like petrol, booze, fags etc going up and making me poorer (although i could give up the booze and fags ... but quite frankly i might as well take a gun to my head now !!).

I think I am probably selfish and see what my family can benefit from.
.

I doubt it Andrea - I think we all do the same. And I tend not to watch it - I really can't be bothered with it all [lack of understanding and low boredom threshold to blame] - although I do listen to the highlights on the evening news.

for the sake of my blood pressure I dont watch it!

I'm like Flip, I just listen to the highlights.

The only stuff I tend to understand is what affects me & mine, the rest flies right over my head.

I'm no economist but this much I understand: Anyone who is remotely honest, hard working, and trying to better themselves by shifting into the middle income bracket (and that, for instance, would be a husband and wife who are both teachers - we're not talking rich toffs here) will be bled dry by stealth taxes, income taxes, and taxes on taxes to feed the neo-marxist fantasies of the far left once Blair is re-elected, and then gotten rid of, and Labour lurch into full loony-left mode.

Don't believe it? Wait and see....

I hope you are wrong Norm, but I have a horrible feeling you are spot on!!!

As for the no stamp duty up to 120k - GREAT, IF you happen to live in an area where you can actually purchase a property for 120k or below, its not so bad here in Devon (excluding the exclusive parts of Torbay and Dartmouth) but I have noticed an increase in property prices since moving here..........but in Leamington, you are looking at least 120/130k min for a 2 up 2 down terraced house, the same here in Torbay would be 90/100k!

There is NO WAY I could have bought a property on my own in Leamington, and I was earning £22k p/a plus bonus's......

I think this years budget is a scam by Labour. Its a case of "Vote now, pay later"
Mark my words. :(

but I have noticed an increase in property prices since moving here..........but in Leamington, you are looking at least 120/130k min for a 2 up 2 down terraced house, the same here in Torbay would be 90/100k!


:unsure: What... ??? We just bought a 2 bed flat (granted its biggish- but still- a flat!!) for £170 000! This is greater london... we're definately living in the wrong part of the country!

:unsure: What... ??? We just bought a 2 bed flat (granted its biggish- but still- a flat!!) for £170 000! This is greater london... we're definately living in the wrong part of the country!

You are looking at 70/90k for a 2 bed flat down here........come and live by the sea Claire......you would probably get a 3 bed house for 170k here!!!! Mind you, the wages are a tad bit lower overall.......and.......the council tax and water rates are pretty high being holiday resorts :glare: but its a far better way of life, more chilled out!

I agree with you there Queeenie about the rise in stamp duty.

Its not going to affect many people around this area aswell.
You can't find a decent house around here for less the £120k, so everybody will still be lining the pockets of Brown.

And Norm, I totally agree with you. I think Bonnie mentioned earlier as well.
Have no kids, middle income husband and wife team get nothing at all from this government.

If you have kids, or are elderly you get something.
But even then I don't think you really get much, because they confuse everything so much with all these means testing and confusing forms to fill in, you really can't work out if you are better off or not.

I mean they are saying that families on working and family tax credit (like us) will actually be able to earn up to £22,000 before paying tax. (As I say, I'm no expert, but I think that was the jist of it)
But they don't mean, we won't pay tax. What they mean is that we will pay tax and then they will give us some money back.
But how many wages does it take to sort all that out.
If they say we won't be paying tax, then just don't take any money away from us and save money on sorting all the other stuff out.

Right I am being particularly thick today. I thought stamp duty was set at 250K?? We had our Scottish house on the market for over that, but decide to drop it under that to interest more buyers.

Is it set at different levels across the regions?

Right I am being particularly thick today. I thought stamp duty was set at 250K?? We had our Scottish house on the market for over that, but decide to drop it under that to interest more buyers.

Is it set at different levels across the regions?

I think it must be different Flippy as my house was well under that amount, and we paid stamp duty.

Right I am being particularly thick today. I thought stamp duty was set at 250K?? We had our Scottish house on the market for over that, but decide to drop it under that to interest more buyers.

Is it set at different levels across the regions?

I think that 250k is the level at which stamp duty increases from whatever the nornal rate is to a higher rate.

I didn't watch it, I just catch up with the main points on the news or on the net......

I really have no idea if I will be any better off or not.... swings and roundabouts I think. My water rates have gone up 16% this year and my council tax has jumped up too (not sure of the %age ) but I bet if I am better off with the budget it won't cover those rises :sad:

Flip, Inheritance Tax is set at £250k, you may be got them mixed up.

Believe you me, we are going to pay for this budget, Brown has made it look like a give, give, give budget, but it's not, he is now raking in £275million more than he gave out, and you will find out how before too long.

Hint: Notice fuel costs are frozen till September - you have been warned!

If you have kids, or are elderly you get something.

I don't know about that, we get nothing from the government except our normal child benefit which is around £100 a month or something like that because we have 2 kids. Everybody is entitled to this payment, no matter how much you earn. We don't qualify for anything else.... Without wanting to kick a gifthorse in the mouth, I have to say we pay much more tax than that payment.

I don't know about that, we get nothing from the government except our normal child benefit which is around £100 a month or something like that because we have 2 kids. Everybody is entitled to this payment, no matter how much you earn. We don't qualify for anything else.... Without wanting to kick a gifthorse in the mouth, I have to say we pay much more tax than that payment.

Well, you have to be earning well then to be paying that, many people don't earn enough to qualify paying tax at all.

fuel costs are frozen till September - you have been warned!

Thanks for the warning but what am I being warned about?

I thought stamp duty was free up to £60k then 1% up to £250K, 3% above £250k, although I read the other day that it only 2% above £250k. When did that change as I know my friends who bought a house year at £335k had to pay about £10k in stamp duty!

So can anyone enligten me, as to what it is now - I haven't read a paper today!

I'm interested in this too Bella, and I've been having a google.

After the budget the following stamp duty applies.

£120,000 and above - 1% payable

£250,000 and above - 3% payable

£500,000 and above - 4% payable.

Thing is, you buy a house at £121,000 you end up paying 1% of the total price and not just on the £1,000 difference.

Anything good for single people living on their own trying to save a deposit for a home?
My brother and his partner moved back to the UK last year and are thrilled with how much money they get from the government (compared with what they got in New Zealand) he earns slightly more than me but with two young children to support you'd think I'd be better off. Ha! They told me that with the money they get in benefits they wil be able to fly back to New Zealand this summer and also within a year they have managed to save a deposit for a house!
I don't begrudge them. If it's handed to you on a plate......

I'm interested in this too Bella, and I've been having a google.

After the budget the following stamp duty applies.

£120,000 and above - 1% payable

£250,000 and above - 3% payable

£500,000 and above - 4% payable.

Thing is, you buy a house at £121,000 you end up paying 1% of the total price and not just on the £1,000 difference.

Thank you Andrea - I thought I was going mad. And that explains an awful lot - why my mate offered under 500K time and time again - when the house was over - I could never understand this.

So can I ask - who actually pays this?? Will it be me or the buyer?? God I am really hopeless aren't I?? Actually I quite enjoy it, gives me so much more time to devote to important matters.

Thanks for the warning but what am I being warned about?
Vote Labour, and incur the consequences. :(

So can I ask - who actually pays this?? Will it be me or the buyer?? God I am really hopeless aren't I?? Actually I quite enjoy it, gives me so much more time to devote to important matters.

The buyer of the property pays it Flip.
But it doesn't come out of the price of the property, it is extra.

So if you buy a house for £250,000, you pay that amount to the sellers and then you have to pay 3% of the price to the lovely Gordon Brown.

I think that's right, that's my understanding of it anyway.

Well, you have to be earning well then to be paying that, many people don't earn enough to qualify paying tax at all.

What do you mean? We are no better off than most... not poor but middle of the road... I think we pay well over £500 a month in tax ( and I've not included the £100 council tax either)...