MILLIONS of Brits will get a bumper income boost thanks to a major tax cut announced in the Autumn Statement.
The average employee is set to receive a £450 pay rise thanks to a two percentage point cut to the main rate of National Insurance.
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Jeremy Hunt said: “High employment taxes on 27million people working in the public and private sectors also disincentivise the hard work we should be encouraging.
“On top of income tax at 20%, they pay 12% National Insurance on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 – that’s a 32% marginal tax rate.
“If we want people to get up early in the morning, if we want people to work nights, if we want an economy where people go the extra mile and work hard then we need to recognise that their hard work benefits all of us.
In his Autumn Statement Jeremy Hunt announced:
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To do this, Mr Hunt said the main 12% rate of employee National Insurance will be cut.
He said: “If I cut it by one percentage point to 11%, that would be an extra £225 in the pockets of the average worker every year.
“But instead, I’m going to go further and cut the main rate of Employee National insurance by two percentage points from 12% to 10%.”
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This change will help 27million people and it means that someone earning an average salary of £35,000 will save over £450.
He added: “For the average nurse, it is a saving of over £520 and for the typical police officer it is a saving of over £630 every single year.
“I would normally bring in a measure like this for the start of the new tax year in April, but instead tomorrow I’m introducing urgent legislation to bring it in from January 6, so that people can see the benefit in their payslips at the start of the new year.”
Mr Hunt also said an additional two million self-employed workers will benefit from an average £350 boost to their incomes with changes to how they pay National Insurance.
How will the cut affect different employees?
Depending on your role and income you could take up up to £600 a year more thanks to the tax cut, according to the Treasury.
For example, a senior nurse with 5 years of experience on £42,618 will receive an annual gain of £600.
An average full-time nurse on £38,900 will receive an annual gain of over £520.
A police officer on £44,300 will receive an annual gain of over £630.[footnote 4]
Plus, a typical junior doctor on £63,000 will receive an annual gain of over £750.
Even a cleaner working night shifts on £21,000 will receive a gain of £170.
The average teacher on £44,300 will receive an annual gain of over £630.
And a hard-working family with two earners on the average earnings of £35,404 will be £900 better off.
What is National Insurance?
National Insurance is a tax on your earnings, which is put into a fund to use for some state benefits.
This includes the state pension, statutory sick pay, maternity leave and unemployment benefits.
If you are a UK national, you should receive an NI number and card automatically before you turn 16.
This number allows the government to track your earnings and apply the right amount of tax.
Who pays National Insurance?
You pay National Insurance if you’re 16 or over and either:
- an employee earning above £242 a week
- self-employed and making a profit of £6,725 or more a year
It is deducted from your wages each month.
If you’re employed, you can see your contributions by looking at your pay slip.
Once you reach state pension age, you don’t need to pay it at all.
There are different types of National Insurance – known as “classes” -, and the type you pay depends on your employment status and how much you earn, and whether you have any gaps in your National Insurance record.
What are the current NIC thresholds and how much do I pay?
The threshold for National Insurance payments is currently £12,570 a year for employed workers and £6,725 for self-employed people.
A change in April last year saw millions of workers paying 1.25% more NI, but that hike was reversed from November 6, saving workers £330 a year on average.
But rates fell from 13.25% to 12% and from 3.25% to 2% – the same as before April 2022.
If you are employed, you start paying National Insurance when you are 16 or older.
Most people now pay 12% NICs on any earnings between £242 and £967 a week.
Plus you have to pay 2% on anything you earn over £967 a week – or £4,189 per month.
Those earning less than these amounts do not have to pay any National Insurance.
The self-employed start paying when they make profits of at least £6,725 a year.
If you’re self-employed you need to complete a self-assessment tax return and pay NICs and income tax yourself.
The exact amount you pay will depend on how much you earn as it’s a percentage of earnings between these amounts.
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