No changes to Scottish income tax plan, first minister vows

The Scottish authorities does not mean to summation income taxation rates oregon present caller bands successful adjacent year's budget, First Minister John Swinney has vowed.

However, the SNP person did not disclose if the wage thresholds volition stay the same.

In the 2025 Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £26bn worthy of taxation rises - including extending the frost connected taxation thresholds which could spot earners dragged into higher bands if they get a wage rise.

At First Minister's Questions connected Thursday, Scottish Tory person Russell Findlay accused the UK chancellor of "screwing taxpayers".

He added: "She's besides borrowing adjacent much money, leaving much indebtedness to aboriginal generations. And she did each of this, each of this, contempt saying that she would bash nary of it.

"Does John Swinney mean to support the SNP manifesto committedness not to rise taxation connected Scottish workers?"

In Scotland, Holyrood ministers person utilized devolved powers to acceptable up an income taxation strategy with 7 bands compared to the UK's four.

Earlier successful the day, Finance Secretary Shona Robison said the taxation strategy successful January's fund would stay the aforesaid up of adjacent year's Holyrood election.

Citing this, Mr Swinney said: "Obviously, the authorities is giving information to the implications of the United Kingdom fund for the Scottish budget.

"But the concern caput confirmed this greeting that the Scottish authorities volition not summation income taxation rates oregon present immoderate caller bands."

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The UK government's scrapping of the two-child payment headdress has freed up astir £155m successful Scottish authorities backing that was going to beryllium utilized to mitigate the headdress northbound of the border.

Mr Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, urged Mr Swinney to present usage that currency to little income taxation bills.

He said: "We judge that Scottish taxpayers merit to support much of their ain hard-earned money. They merit fairness and they merit a interruption from higher bills."

The archetypal curate antecedently said the wealth would beryllium invested successful different initiatives to assistance trim kid poorness "even further".

Mr Swinney said helium was "glad" the Scottish authorities "shamed the Labour Party into acting connected this peculiar issue".

He added: "So, erstwhile Mr Findlay attacks maine for asking radical connected higher net to wage much successful tax, I'm prepared to bash that truthful that I tin enactment to eradicate kid poverty, which is the champion happening for the aboriginal of our country."