There was a welcome deferral of the obligation for businesses below the VAT registration threshold to submit data to HMRC in digital form. But a two per cent staged increase in NI for the self employed and a reduction, only 12 months from its introduction, to the tax free dividend allowance will affect a significant body of traditional Conservative supporters.
The NI increase no doubt indicates a direction of travel which will be followed by the ongoing review of the tax status of the self-employed, who are seen by HMRC as obtaining unfair tax benefits over employees.
Measures to lighten the load of business rate changes seem to have been received as something of a sticking plaster rather than any fundamental immediate reform.
There was relatively little to affect larger businesses, but these already have significant changes to get to grips with including the interest relief restriction and significant changes to the way tax relief is allowed for corporate losses.