Autumn Budget 2026: what do UK business leaders want to see?
Summary
Before the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026, Entrepreneur UK asked business leaders what they wanted to see. James set out three asks: on bank tax, on a tax framework for founders and investors, and on company reporting.
Any bank tax, he argues, should be judged by its effect on lending. A fair contribution from banks should not come at the cost of finance for growing firms. Companies have had a Corporate Tax Roadmap since October 2024, but nothing equivalent covers capital gains, investment reliefs or exits. He asks for a matching roadmap, with clear start dates and transition rules. Reporting reform, he says, should remove duplication rather than shift it into separate requests from every lender and investor.
Three key points
- The test of any bank tax is whether it changes the economics of the next loan to a viable business.
- A roadmap for capital gains, investment reliefs and exits would let founders and private equity plan with confidence.
- Simpler reporting should keep reliable accounts and proportionate evidence that important controls work.
What the Budget did, 28 October 2026
- Banks. The Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge rises from 3% to 6% from 1 January 2027 to 31 March 2028, to help fund support for households. The government’s costing allows for banks moving activity abroad. It does not mention lending.
- Founders and investors. From 6 April 2027, a new Founders’ Relief sets a 10% capital gains tax rate on up to £10 million of lifetime gains. It applies to qualifying founders of high-growth, innovative companies. From the same date, the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief halves, from £1 million to £500,000. The Budget keeps the Corporate Tax Roadmap but sets out no matching roadmap for capital gains, investment reliefs or exits.
- Reporting. The Budget counts up to £290 million a year of savings from a more proportionate company reporting framework. The government’s own estimate says the largest savings would come from proposals to extend audit exemptions to medium-sized companies and more subsidiaries. Those proposals are out for consultation until 30 November 2026.
Sources: Budget 2026, its policy costings and the regulatory savings annex, GOV.UK, 28 October 2026.
Read the full article
The summary above draws on a longer round-up. Entrepreneur UK publishes it in full, with James’s three asks in his own words alongside the Budget wishes of four other business leaders.
Insights
Worth reading next
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Explore your own question further
In a particular organisation, the detail can change how these points apply. James is happy to hear from anyone weighing them up for their own board, business or deal. This page summarises a round-up published elsewhere, with a note on what the Budget then did, and is not tax advice or advice on any particular situation.