The UK Budget & Beyond: What It Means for Global Talent, Tax, and Incentives

Last week the 2025 Autumn UK Budget was released – and for senior executives, their advisers and employers, the implications are too important to ignore. 

In this IFSEA podcast, CM Murray LLP Partner Merrill April is joined by a brilliant trio from BDO LLP, Partner David Yewdall, Director Veronika Lipinska and Global Mobility Tax Director James O’Brien. Together, they explore the real impact of the Budget and what it means for internationally mobile executives, scale-ups, and boards who are planning for growth.

This IFSEA podcast discusses the highs and lows of the 2025 Budget, particularly:

• UK as a magnet for talent: What’s next for cross-border working and why the UK should be open as a prime destination for high-value business.
   
• Equity incentives reimagined: EMI schemes just got bigger, now scale-ups can play too. It is a crucial time for boards to rethink their reward strategy.
   
• Tax trends that bite: Freezing tax bands, rising NICs, and why US vs UK comparisons matter for global mobility planning.
   
• Compliance and planning in focus: The critical importance of proactive planning and compliance, with HMRC’s enhanced enforcement powers and the increasing complexity of cross-border employment.
   
• Relief on feared measures: The panel notes relief that widely anticipated changes – such as an exit tax or increases to capital gains tax – were not introduced, providing greater certainty for business leaders.
   
• Incremental change, lasting impact: The incremental nature of tax changes, and why senior executives and boards must remain alert to gradual shifts that can have significant long-term effects.
   
• The bigger picture: Stability, growth, and why the UK remains a compelling place to conduct business, despite ongoing challenges. 

If you have any questions arising from this discussion, please contact: Merrill April ([email protected]), David Yewdall ([email protected]), Veronika Lipinska ([email protected]) or James O’Brien ([email protected]).