My accountants have, quick off the mark as ever, issued a pamphlet setting out the main changes announced by Gordon Brown on Wednesday.

Of particular note, amongst all the "elect-me-I'm-safe-with-your-taxes" obfuscatory dicking about with basic rates and starting rates of tax, was the following seemingly innocent inclusion:

HMRC is to be given the power to designate as a recognised stock exchange for tax purposes any investment exchange recognised by the Financial Services Authority. This measure will have effect from Royal Assent.

Now why would HMRC want to determine this? One possible answer is this:-

This seems to mean that shares listed on AIM could cease to attract business asset taper relief for capital gains tax (except for the company's employees) and business property relief for inheritance tax.

Gordon has spotted some other cavaliers having too much fun in fancy dress - time to impose some Calvinist grey upon those knaves.

The current govt has appeared to do well almost entirely because they hit the bottom of the interest rate cycle combined with the final decade of low Chinese labour costs keeping inflation down - clothes and lots of goods have never been so cheap relative to earnings, but Gordon has given away a lot of family silver (or should I say gold, our reserves of which he sold most of at the low point of around $200 some years ago!). He has reduced industry to a quivering pulp of blame-the-profit-makers red-tape (who have seen a net loss in employment) whilst nurturing the public sector which has grown out of hand on full final salary pensions paid for out of current account. As for pensions and IHT - penal rates of tax for anyone who tries to leave money behind whether or not out of already fully taxed income - which money could be invested in profitable industry not feather-bedding the latest policy u-turn. The joke is that his policies have helped fuel the passive massive rise in house prices ion which we are to be taxed at every turn, whether buying (stamp duty) or dying (IHT).

But don't get me started . . .

Don`t stop now stockdog I was beginning to get wound up as well.
Pensions, my favourite subject as I happen to have been on the losing end of Equitable Life.
Cost me the pension I would have had.
The with profits pension I was advised to have in 2002 has managed to drop every year since.
Scottish Mutual, need I say more.
Knowing what I know now, there is no way I would invest my money other than making my own investment decisions.
I`ve finished now.

These problems aside (and I too have an Equitable problem) what can we do about it ? I have found that I can reduce my tax burden by VCTs , SIPPs , AIM ... It would be a shame if the BATR on AIM goes.

Does anyone know much about successful spreadbetting or any other way of improving ones tax position ?