Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of increasing the Trading Allowance to £3,000.

The Trading Allowance allows individuals to earn up to £1,000 a year in trading or miscellaneous income tax-free, and this has not changed. The Government is increasing the Income Tax Self-Assessment reporting threshold from £1,000 to £3,000 gross within this parliament.

Individuals will still owe tax on anything above £1,000, but if below £3,000 they will be able to report their income through a new HMRC online service rather than Self-Assessment. This will reduce administrative burdens for up to 300,000 traders.

The Government must ensure the tax system supports strong public finances whilst targeting support where it is most needed. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government keeps the taxation of trading income under review. Any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.