DUNCAN MEREDITH of York chartered accountants Garbutt & Elliott gives his local take on the Chancellor Gordon Brown's pre-Budget speech.

THREE areas in the Chancellor's measures should bring a "Hooray" to businesses and residents of York and North Yorkshire.

Mr Brown promises to introduce a "fair and efficient tax system" for small businesses, reducing the number of forms and returns and promoting the better use of IT. Perhaps in future all taxes would go on one return and be covered by a single payment system, although the detail of this may be difficult to sort out.

Some changes to taxes such as VAT may go hand in hand with these reforms, to smooth the business burden.

Hopefully, there will be full opportunity for local businesses and their representatives to have their say. It won't be all "give" though. The recent trend to counter tax schemes and stop tax avoidance will continue.

National Insurance planning looks to be dead in the water as measures will be introduced from now on to stop all arrangements from succeeding, even if they have not yet been thought up!

Good news for hauliers and all businesses with significant transport costs. The freeze on road fuel duties will continue, so that high prices caused by problems in the oil market will not be worsened by extra taxes ... not yet anyway.

Finally, the Chancellor, always hot on the theme of providing "security for all", proposes to introduce job training, enhanced support for those returning to work and to bolster childcare provision. This will all help to keep the Yorkshire economy moving in the right direction.

Updated: 11:02 Friday, December 03, 2004