Thursday newspaper round-up: Tax increases, Jes Staley, Barclay family

(Sharecast News) - Rachel Reeves has defended the £40bn in tax increases in autumn's budget as businesses brace for their impact, saying NHS waiting lists would now be higher if she had not taken action. Employers are set for a £25bn increase in national insurance contributions (NICs), which comes into force on 6 April, at the same time as consumers are being hit by a slew of increases in bills for everything from utilities to car tax. - Guardian The former chief executive of Barclays Jes Staley took a "chance" in lying to the UK regulator about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein amid fears that being truthful could end his career and fuel potential lawsuits by victims of the jailed child sex offender, a court has heard. The allegations were made by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) during closing statements for the high-profile case at the upper tribunal in London on Wednesday. - Guardian

Aston Martins and Scotch whisky are likely to become more expensive in the US under Donald Trump. Car manufacturing and the food and drink industry are among the UK sectors most impacted by the US president's wave of new tariffs. All export billions of pounds worth of good to the US every year, which will now be subject to 10pc import taxes. - Telegraph

British families will be £400 worse off on average this year as Rachel Reeves's tax rises combine with soaring bills to hammer living standards, top economists have warned. The Resolution Foundation think tank said benefits will also increase by less than the cost of living - leading to a "triple blow" to household finances. It said the long-running freeze to income tax thresholds, introduced under the Conservatives and sustained under Labour, is forcing more workers into paying tax and pushing others into higher brackets. - Telegraph

The former owners of the Telegraph Media Group have sold the superyacht named after the Barclay twins' late mother as they continue to sell off assets to repay debts across their corporate empire. The cash-strapped Barclay family have sold the Lady Beatrice to the financier Peter Dubens for an undisclosed amount after putting it up for sale 17 months ago at €22 million. - The Times