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-	EU foreign ministers have imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on the UK-born wife of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and other family members, diplomats say.	+	More and more people on "relatively modest salaries" are being dragged into becoming higher-rate taxpayers, Budget analysis suggests.
-	Asma al-Assad is among 12 people added to the sanctions list, which already includes her husband.	+	The number of higher rate taxpayers, who pay a chunk of their income at the 40% tax level, could rise from 3.7m last year to 5m by 2014.
-	The ban cannot stop her from travelling to the UK, British officials say.	+	The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made the prediction after studying changes to tax levels in the Budget.
-	Anti-government activists accuse the regime of killing thousands of protesters over the past year.	+	However, lower-income families will benefit from the changes.
-	In recent weeks, the Damascus government has stepped up its efforts to crush pockets of rebellion in cities including Homs and Hama.	+	In the Budget, the government also decided to end age-related tax allowances for pensioners.
-	Russia and China have vetoed two UN Security Council resolutions on Syria for fear that intervention could lead to regime change, as happened in Libya last year.	+	The IFS said that move will cause pensioners to lose 0.25% of their income in 2014.
-	Mr Assad has promised political reform, but observers and his opponents have dismissed his plans as window-dressing.	+	'Millionaires pay less'
-	The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says for years there was a perception that Mrs Assad's Western upbringing could encourage reform in Syria.	+	Shadow chancellor Ed Balls criticised the changes to pension allowances.
-	The 36-year-old, who is of Syrian descent, was born in the UK and spent much of her life in west London. The UK Border Agency has confirmed that Mrs Assad is British.	+	"The fact is the normal increase in the state pension just keeps up with inflation, but cuts to personal allowances in the Budget will mean 4.4 million pensioners are worse off in real terms," he said.
-	"British citizens subject to EU travel bans cannot be refused entry to the UK," a spokesman said.	+	"It's now even clearer that this was a Budget that asked millions to pay more so millionaires could pay less."
-	Mrs Assad, who worked as an investment banker in the City of London before her marriage in 2000, has generally played a low-key role in the regime.	+	But Chancellor George Osborne told the BBC that no pensioner would be worse off in cash terms, including the "largest increase in the state pension" next month.
-	The BBC's Caroline Hawley looks at Asma Assad's UK roots	+	"The net changes made by this government, including introducing this triple lock, mean that pensioners are better off."
-	However, in February she wrote to Britain's Times newspaper to explain why she thought her husband was still the right man to lead Syria.	+	The tax-free chunk of income, known as the personal allowance, is rising for the under-65s to �9,205 in April 2013.
-	Other members of Mr Assad's family have also been added to the sanctions list. The AFP news agency says these include Mr Assad's mother, sister and sister-in-law.	+	The IFS said this would cost the Treasury an estimated �3.5bn, and would mean 675,000 fewer people would pay income tax.
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		+	From 6 April, people earning taxable incomes of up to �34,370 will pay 20% in tax and people earning between �34,371 and �150,000 are taxed at 40%.

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Revision as of 22:01, 12 October 2012

More and more people on "relatively modest salaries" are being dragged into becoming higher-rate taxpayers, Budget analysis suggests.

The number of higher rate taxpayers, who pay a chunk of their income at the 40% tax level, could rise from 3.7m last year to 5m by 2014.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made the prediction after studying changes to tax levels in the Budget.

However, lower-income families will benefit from the changes.

In the Budget, the government also decided to end age-related tax allowances for pensioners.

The IFS said that move will cause pensioners to lose 0.25% of their income in 2014.

'Millionaires pay less'

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls criticised the changes to pension allowances.

"The fact is the normal increase in the state pension just keeps up with inflation, but cuts to personal allowances in the Budget will mean 4.4 million pensioners are worse off in real terms," he said.

"It's now even clearer that this was a Budget that asked millions to pay more so millionaires could pay less."

But Chancellor George Osborne told the BBC that no pensioner would be worse off in cash terms, including the "largest increase in the state pension" next month.

"The net changes made by this government, including introducing this triple lock, mean that pensioners are better off."

The tax-free chunk of income, known as the personal allowance, is rising for the under-65s to �9,205 in April 2013.

The IFS said this would cost the Treasury an estimated �3.5bn, and would mean 675,000 fewer people would pay income tax.

From 6 April, people earning taxable incomes of up to �34,370 will pay 20% in tax and people earning between �34,371 and �150,000 are taxed at 40%.