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MILLIONS of workers are set to get a pay rise as a freeze on income tax thresholds comes to an end, the Chancellor has announced.

Rachel Reeves had been widely expected to extend the freeze, which has been in place since 2021, in today's Budget.

You currently pay no income tax if you earn £12,570 or less
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You currently pay no income tax if you earn £12,570 or lessCredit: Alamy
Rachel Reeves delivers her Autumn Statement at the despatch box in the House of Commons
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Rachel Reeves delivers her Autumn Statement at the despatch box in the House of CommonsCredit: AFP
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But in a surprise move, the thresholds will increase again after 2028, giving a boost to incomes.

You currently pay no income tax on the first £12,570, known as the personal allowance.

You then pay tax at 20% on income over this and up to £50,271.

Then, on earnings over that and up to £150,000, pay 40%.

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These thresholds usually rise each year in line with inflation but were frozen under the previous Conservative government until 2028.

An extension of the freeze would have meant that individuals earning between £20,000 and £35,000 a year would have been up to £366 worse off by 2030.

Similarly, those with an annual income of £60,000 would have faced a reduction of up to £1,099 by the end of the decade.

However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said today: "The previous government froze income tax and National Insurance thresholds in 2021 and then they did so again after the mini-budget.

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"Extending their threshold freeze for a further two years raises billions of pounds.

"Money to deal with the black hole in our public finances… … and repair our public services.

"Having considered the issue closely I have concluded that extending the threshold freeze would hurt working people."

Frozen tax thresholds act as a "stealth tax," allowing the government to collect extra revenue without raising tax rates.

As wages increase due to inflation or other factors, more people will find their incomes pushed into higher tax brackets.

This phenomenon, known as "fiscal drag," leaves more people paying more taxes, thereby reducing their disposable income.

The threshold at which employees begin paying National Insurance has also been frozen at £12,570 per year.

And the Treasury has also confirmed that this level will be unfrozen in 2028.

Ms Reeves added: "There will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and National Insurance thresholds beyond the decisions of the previous government.

"From 2028-29, personal tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation once again."

Unfreezing these thresholds means people will be able to earn more without paying more tax.

However, while this is positive news, millions will still find themselves paying more tax before the thresholds are adjusted.

Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon, said: "According to analysis by the OBR, the current freeze will see millions more people starting to pay income tax or paying at a higher rate - between 2022-23 and 2028-29.

"This set of threshold freezes means nearly 4million additional individuals will be expected to pay income tax, 3million more will have moved to the higher rate, and 400,000 more onto the additional rate."

What is the personal allowance?

THE personal allowance is the amount you can earn each year tax-free.

In the current tax year - which runs from April 6 2024 to April 5 2025 - the figure is £12,570.

Any earnings above this threshold are taxed at different rates, depending on the income bracket.

However, this amount may be larger if you claim certain allowances, including a blind person's allowance, marriage allowance and child tax credit.

Income tax also applies to money you make outside your job, not just your earnings.

But there are also some tax-free allowances on top of the personal allowance for these other sources of income.

If you are self-employed, you don't have to pay tax on savings interest, dividends and the first £1,000 of income.

INCOME TAX RATES

You currently pay no income tax if you earn £12,570 or less.

On earnings between £12,570 and up to £50,270, you pay the basic income tax rate of 20%.

Wages of £50,271 and above are taxed at the higher rate of 40%.

The additional income tax rate, which applies to earnings above £150,000, is 45%.

The income tax thresholds generally rise yearly so that people can earn more without paying more tax.

These thresholds will rise again in now frozen until 2030.

What is National Insurance?

NATIONAL Insurance is a tax on your earnings, or profits if you're self-employed.

These contributions make you eligible for things like the state pension and certain benefits.

You'll usually pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) when you're over the age of 16 and earning a certain amount.

You can see the amount of NICs you pay on your payslip.

If you're employed, the company you work for deducts the tax and pays it to HMRC for you.

Self-employed individuals generally have to pay NICs themselves when completing a self-assessment tax return.

NATIONAL INSURANCE RATES

Most people now pay 8% NICs on any earnings between £242 and £967 a week.

This means if you earn more than £12,570 a year, you'll start paying NICs.

You pay mandatory National Insurance if you're 16 or over and are either:

  • An employee earning more than £242 per week from one job
  • Self-employed and making a profit of more than £12,570 a year

Plus, you have to pay 2% on anything you earn over £967 a week - or £4,189 per month.

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The exact amount you pay will depend on how much you earn, as it's a percentage of earnings between these amounts.

You can check how much National Insurance you've paid by visiting gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record.

WATCH RACHEL REEVES ON NEVER MIND THE BALLOTS

By Ryan Sabey, Deputy Political Editor

RACHEL Reeves will be grilled in a special Budget edition of The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots show today.

Our Political Editor Harry Cole will put the Chancellor on the spot shortly after she’s finished delivering her crucial address in the House of Commons.

It will be available to watch on , and Sun social channels at 5.30pm.

Topics will include her decision on whether to spare motorists a fuel duty rise, and the expected eye-watering tax rises she will impose.

Since its launch earlier this year, NMTB has cemented its place at the heart of British politics.

During the General Election campaign The Sun was the only print publisher to host back-to-back grillings of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.

Footage from The Election Showdown has been viewed over 15 million times.

NMTB has also featured interviews with ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, as well as senior politicians Nigel FarageJames CleverlyWes StreetingSteve Reed and Bridget Phillipson

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