CIMA calls for bold, strategic action to unlock UK growth ahead of Autumn Budget

30 October 2025, London – The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is urging the UK Government to take bold, strategic action to unlock economic growth, strengthen fiscal stability, and drive productivity ahead of next month’s Autumn Budget.

In its submission to HM Treasury, CIMA outlines a set of 27 recommendations across five interconnected priorities to build a competitive, resilient UK economy:

• Securing sustainable economic growth by increasing policy certainty to support business confidence and long-term investment

• Reforming the tax system to remove and reduce distortions and minimise complexity

• Empowering SMEs as the backbone of the UK economy through targeted support and reduced regulatory burdens

• Boosting skills and productivity by closing the national skills gap and investing in lifelong learning

• Strengthening public finances to improve fiscal resilience and economic stability

Together, these priorities aim to address immediate pressures while laying the foundations for long-term prosperity.

Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants:

“The Autumn Budget 2025 presents a critical opportunity for the UK to strengthen its economic foundations. The Chancellor has an opportunity to chart a course that will promote economic growth and increase business and consumer confidence – the UK cannot afford to miss this opportunity.

“By adopting the policy recommendations outlined in this submission – focused on stability, investment, skills, productivity, and support for SMEs – the Government can respond to immediate challenges while building long-term resilience.”

CIMA’s key proposals for the upcoming Autumn Budget include:

Securing sustainable economic growth

• Publish a comprehensive business tax and regulatory roadmap to reduce uncertainty and support long-term investment

• Extend Full Capital Expensing to leased and second-hand assets

• Introduce targeted investment incentives, including a SME Investment ISA and review regional stock exchanges to improve access to finance

Strategic tax reform

• Simplify the UK tax system and eliminate damaging cliff edges and distortions made worse by fiscal drag

• Expand the Corporate Tax Roadmap to cover individual and property taxation

• Reduce the Employer NIC rate and adjust VAT thresholds to better support SMEs

Empowering SMEs

• Expand the SME Strategy to tackle scale-up challenges and improve access to finance

• Reinstate the Growth Accelerator scheme and enhance the Business Growth Service

Boosting skills and productivity

• Revise apprenticeship funding to support learners up to age 25 and expand lifelong learning loan entitlements to cover professional education, better supporting social mobility

• Establish a national Productivity Commission to align policy, investment, and innovation across the UK

Strengthening public finances and tackling inflation

• Accelerate digital transformation and skills development in the public sector to improve outcomes and increase public sector productivity

• Ensure fiscal and monetary policy alignment to contain inflation, prioritise supply-side reforms, and maintain stable taxation frameworks

Read CIMA’s full Autumn Budget 2025 submission here.