Tax, speed dating and sea ice

As the 2026 World Cup approaches its end, what is the biggest factor in who wins? Is it extraordinary moments of attacking magic? Gritty defensive organisation? Or is it all just a question of luck and random chance? We look at how mathematicians and analysists make sense of chao ... Show More

Recently a post did the rounds on Twitter, claiming that people who play tennis live on average 9.7 years longer than people who play other sports.The figure comes from a recent analysis of people's exercise habits in Denmark. But not everyone on Twitter was convinced. Tennis is ... Show More

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:(00:32) A government minister has informed the nation that average teacher pay in England is around £54,000. Radio 4 listeners are howling at the radio in disbelief. Surely someone from the IFS would be able to e ... Show More

Who are the "working people" that Keir Starmer has promised no tax increases for? Would Reform UK send the markets into a spiral if they got into power? How would the Green Party raise money to fund their ambitious net zero pledges? Robert and Steph examine the manifestos and pro ... Show More

Today's bombshell rabbit (to mix a metaphor) was the Chancellor's promise to abolish the lifetime allowance on pensions.If you're super-rich it's time to crack open the champagne. If you're working age and well-paid, it might keep you in your job longer - at least that's the aim- ... Show More

<p>This week, Heather and Roger are talking about Labour’s proposals to clamp down on “tax dodgers”, what they’re planning to do about non-doms, the impact the plans are already having, and the tax shock that some pensioners might now be facing.</p> <p>But most importantly, they ... Show More

<p>Keir Starmer has unveiled Labour’s manifesto - declaring that his is the “party of wealth creation”. But while the plans combine sweeping aspirations for growth with modest tax and spending measures, there are a host of questions about how exactly a future Labour government wo ... Show More

<p>Oxfam's Economic Justice Director, Nabil Ahmed, and Oxfam International's Inequality Policy & Advocacy Lead, Max Lawson, discuss their latest Global Inequality Report, which highlights the accelerating pace at which the world's billionaires have increased their wealth exponent ... Show More

<p>Rachel Reeves’s first budget as chancellor of the exchequer saw the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/30/the-british-budget-combines-large-numbers-and-a-narrow-vision" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">biggest tax rises</a> in decades, as well as promi ... Show More

This special edition of the FT Money show is dedicated to examining the far reaching effects of the loan charge on 100,000 freelance contractors in the UK. Claer Barrett, the FT Money editor, and Emma Agyemang, the FT's tax reporter, talk to individuals facing huge tax bills, and ... Show More