The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, today confirmed in his 2016 Autumn Statement that the personal allowance, which currently stands at £11,000 per annum for the tax year 2016/17, will be increased as per the announcements in previous budgets.
The personal allowance is the amount that an individual may earn before they have to start paying tax.
The increases that were previously announced mean that the personal allowance will be £11,500 starting from April 2017 for the tax year 2017/18 and will increase to £12,500 by the end of the current parliament.
Those who pay tax at the basic rate (currently 20%) will be £100 a year (around £8.33 a month) better off with the increase in the personal allowance.
Those who are subject to 40% tax will see £200 a year (£16.66 a month) more in their pay packets (plus any benefit they may gain from the increase in the 40% tax rate bracket).
There were rumours that the Chancellor may bring in the £12,500 personal allowance quicker than had previously been planned but this did not happen as it was confirmed this would likely be in the 2020s.
Once the personal allowance gets to £12,500 it will be increased in each year in line with inflation, unless any further increases are announced in subsequent budgets.
It was also announced that the Spring Budget will be the last budget at that time of year and that in 2017 the budget will move to being an autumn budget and there will be a subsequent spring statement, thus giving plenty of notice before any changes are introduced in the following April.