The Scottish Budget is the Scottish Government’s annual plan for tax and public spending. The Finance Secretary presents it to the Scottish Parliament, where it is scrutinised and approved ahead of the new financial year on 1 April.

For businesses, it sets three costs that differ from the rest of the UK. Scottish income tax has six bands, compared with three elsewhere, which affects take-home pay and salary negotiations. Non-domestic rates are set in Scotland, with their own poundage rates and reliefs. Land and Buildings Transaction Tax applies to property purchases and commercial leases in place of Stamp Duty Land Tax.

The Budget also shapes public spending on procurement, infrastructure and business support. Because the Scottish Government now governs as a minority, each Budget needs votes from other parties to pass.

How the Budget works and what the latest one changed are explained in the article on what the Scottish Budget is and how it affects businesses. The individual taxes are covered in detail in the guides to Scottish income tax bands, the non-domestic rates revaluation and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on commercial property.