Tax - VAT will return to 17.5pc on January 1 as planned, with no other changes in VAT. - Bingo Duty to be cut from 22pc to 20pc for next year's Budget. - In April 2012, point at which people start paying 40pc income tax to be frozen for one year, hitting those earning more than £43,000. National Insurance Contributions - All employer, employee and self-employed rates of National Insurance to rise by a further 0.5pc from April 2011. - Starting point from which National Insurance is payable to be raised so that no-one earning less than £20,000 will pay any more in contributions. Pensions - Basic state pension will rise by 2.5pc in April, a real-terms increase of nearly 4pc. - Employer pension contributions to be included in definition of tax income relating to pensions tax relief for those earning over £130,000. Inheritance tax - Individual Inheritance Tax allowance to be frozen at £325,000 for the next year.   more »

Tax rebate plan for 'green' drivers and homeowners <> Tax rebates for people who "go green" by installing solar panels or wind turbines on their homes or swapping their company car for an electric vehicle will be announced by Alistair Darling tomorrow.. <> How UK economy will drop from the top 10 list <> Britain will cease to be among the world's leading economies by 2015, it emerged yesterday...   more »