Emergency budget 2010: What does it mean for Kent?

George Osborne, Conservative shadow chancellor
George Osborne, Conservative shadow chancellor

Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled his Emergency Budget for 2010.

See below, as we followed every cough and spit to bring you the latest on how his plans for spending and taxation will affect Kent.

See below for our tax factfile.

Taxing factfile

  • Income tax was originally introduced to pay for the Napoleonic wars in 1798. It was scrapped once to wars were over, but a precedent had been set, and it was reintroduced in 1842.
  • VAT was originally introduced in Britain in 1973, as a condition of joining the European Economic Community. It replaced the purchase tax (which had not applied to all businesses and services) and was set at a standard rate of 10 per cent.
  • Denmark, Hungary and Sweden have VAT rates of 25 per cent. Luxembourg has a rate of 15 per cent.
  • Beer tax has increased by 1,000 per cent since England’s 1966 World Cup win, according to the British Beer and Pub Association.
  • In 2008, a woman called Remi Fakorede was found guilty of defrauding HMRC out of £1m in benefits by inventing 20 pretend families. Said she was driven to do it by a voodoo curse.
  • Between 1696 and 1851, people had to pay a window tax, based on the number of windows in their property.
  • In the 18th century there were also taxes on things like candles and soap.
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