SIX IN TEN BRITONS THINK “GOOGLE TAX” WILL BE GOOD FOR THEM PERSONALLY
The “Google tax” is the Autumn Statement policy most likely to be seen as good for Britons. A new ComRes / ITV News poll reveals that six in ten (59%) Britons say the new tax on the profits of companies who operate in the UK but transfer their profits offshore is good for them personally. The plans, outlined in the Autumn Statement, aim to clamp down on companies such as Google and Facebook who declare their profits in countries with lower taxes than the UK.
Other announcements met positively are the changes to stamp duty and abolishing inheritance tax on IAS being transferred when a partner dies. Around half of Britons (52% and 51% respectively) said these policies would be good for them personally.
The only policy where more say it is bad than good for them is cutting spending by 40% on non-protected government budgets where 15% say it is good and half (52%) say it is bad for them.
The public seem prepared for more cuts to follow the next General Election with around six in ten (57%) British adults agreeing that whoever wins the next election will have to make more public spending cuts in order to get the country’s finances on track, an increase of 6 points since October.
Just one in three (32%) people think the way the Government is going about cutting public spending is fair, compared to half (47%) who disagree.
Findings in detail
Q: On Wednesday, George Osborne announced a range of new policies in his Autumn Statement, some of which are listed below. For each, do you think it will be good or bad for you personally, or will it have no impact?
| Policy | Good | No impact | Bad | Don’t know |
| A new tax on the profits of companies who operate in the UK but transfer their profits offshore | 59% | 25% | 4% | 12% |
| Changing stamp duty so cheaper properties are taxed less than they were and expensive properties are taxed more than they were | 52% | 33% | 4% | 11% |
| Abolishing inheritance tax on ISAs being transferred when your partner dies | 51% | 33% | 4% | 12% |
| Abolishing Air Passenger Duty on airplane passengers aged under 12 | 36% | 49% | 5% | 10% |
| Promising to cut government spending to its lowest level since the 1930s | 33% | 20% | 26% | 21% |
| Cutting spending by 40% on non-protected government budgets (such as the police, roads, and working age benefits) | 15% | 15% | 52% | 18% |
Base: All GB adults (n=2,050).
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Statement | Agree | Disagree | Don’t know |
| The way the Government is going about cutting public spending is fair | 32% (+1) | 47%
(-1) |
21%
(n/c) |
| The Government is cutting public spending too much and too quickly | 50%
(+2) |
31%
(+1) |
19%
(-3) |
| Things in this country are generally heading in the right direction | 41%
(-2) |
41%
(+4) |
18%
(-3) |
| The UK economy has been fixed | 11%
(-1) |
67%
(+2) |
22%
(-1) |
| Whoever wins the next election will have to make more public spending cuts in order to get the country’s finances on track | 57%
(+6) |
20%
(-3) |
23%
(-3) |
| It would be better to slow the rate of spending cuts even if it makes it take longer to get the country’s finances back on track | 52%
(+3) |
25%
(-2) |
22%
(-2) |
Base: All GB adults (n=2,050). Numbers in brackets are changes since October 2014.
Date Published: 10/12/2014
Client: ITV
Methodology
ComRes interviewed 2,050 British adults online between 5thand 7th December 2014. Data were weighted to be representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.