CIMA: Burnham should use this refresh to back business with urgent tax and skills reset

20 July 2026, London – With the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham MP appointed, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is calling on the Government to put business growth at the centre of its reset, starting with urgent tax and skills reform to reduce the cost of doing business, support investment and give firms the certainty they need to grow and drive economic growth.

Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, said: “The new Prime Minister has an immediate opportunity to reset the relationship with business. That must start with tax and skills reform. Businesses need a competitive tax system and access to workforce training support that rewards investment, employment and growth."

“We’re asking government to reduce the cost of doing business, give companies long-term certainty and unlock the skills needed to drive productivity across the UK.”

CIMA’s key asks for the new Government are:

• Lead with business tax reform: publish a rolling five-year business tax roadmap covering corporation tax, employer taxes, capital allowances, R&D reliefs, VAT and business rates.

• Cut the cost of employment: reduce employment-related taxes and address fiscal drag so firms can hire, train and retain staff with confidence.

• Remove barriers to growth: review tax thresholds, VAT rules and marginal rates that discourage SMEs from scaling or individuals from taking on more work.

• Back skills and retraining: expand access to lifelong learning, protect Level 7 apprenticeships and introduce a practical right to retrain.

• Drive regional productivity: create employer-led Productivity & Skills Hubs and devolve skills planning within a clear national framework.

• Help SMEs scale: Reinstate and modernise the Growth Accelerator Scheme alongside an expanded Business Growth Service that provides coaching, mentoring and specialist advice to growing firms.

To secure the talent businesses need now and, in the future, CIMA is calling on the government to rethink its approach to the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, extending funding to professional qualifications and Level 7 apprenticeships, increasing access routes to learning. As students await their exam results, ministers should use the summer to set out a clearer plan that widens access, supports future talent, and gives employees the skills they need to thrive in a changing economy.

Harding continued: “Career paths are no longer linear, and businesses increasingly need employees with critical thinking, strategic insight and the ability to adapt as technology and AI reshape the workplace.

“The government has a clear opportunity to address skills shortages and support retraining of employees with a plan for lifelong learning. Without decisive action, the UK is overlooking existing talent and risks falling behind in developing the workforce needed to support business growth and economic resilience.”

– ENDS –

Notes to editors

CIMA is calling on the Government to take action in the following areas:

Tax

• Create a stable, long-term tax roadmap to give businesses certainty: Publish a rolling five-year business tax roadmap covering corporation and business taxation, capital allowances, R&D reliefs and personal taxation.

• Reduce the tax burden on employing people: Reduce employment-related taxes and address fiscal drag to lower the cost of hiring and encourage workforce expansion.

• Reform the tax system to support growth rather than discourage it: Review tax thresholds, VAT rules and marginal tax rates that discourage businesses from growing or individuals from taking on additional work.

SMEs

• Make it easier for SMEs to scale: Reinstate and modernise the Growth Accelerator Scheme alongside an expanded Business Growth Service that provides coaching, mentoring and specialist advice to growing firms.

• Build an SME skills system: Reform the Growth and Skills Levy and Lifelong Learning Entitlement, while giving SMEs a stronger voice in regional skills planning.

Skills and workforce

• Expand the Lifelong Learning Entitlement: Allow professional qualifications and courses delivered by recognised professional bodies to be funded through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement by allowing those professional qualifications that are already regulated to not have to be dual regulated by the Office for Students.

• Protect and reform Level 7 Apprenticeships rather than abolishing funding: Retain Growth and Skills Levy support for Level 7 apprenticeships, particularly for learners aged 25 and under and occupations where they are a priority for the Industrial Strategy such as professional and financial services.

• Introduce a “Right to Retrain”: Give workers greater access to retraining opportunities through a rebuttable right to retrain and dedicated time for workforce development.

• Devolution and Regional Growth – Regional Productivity & Skills Hubs: Establish employer-led Productivity & Skills Hubs in every Strategic Authority, bringing together businesses, independent training providers, colleges, universities and local government to coordinate workforce planning, skills investment and productivity improvements.

• Devolve Skills to Support Regional Growth: Give Strategic Authorities greater responsibility over post-16 skills planning and commissioning, supported by a consistent national framework that avoids fragmentation.

• Launch a UK Productivity Commission and Productivity Strategy: Publish a long-term UK Productivity Strategy supported by an independent Productivity Commission to coordinate policy across skills, investment, innovation and infrastructure.