Most taxpayers who have just paid their January bill may now be wondering how their future HMRC returns will evolve in response to the tax increases announced in the Budget.   

Among the potential issues that arise is just how much different tax systems provoke changes in behaviour and vice versa, and to what extent this is impacted by unconscious biases. When reviewing the landscape since the Covid-19 pandemic first took hold, the distorting effects of cognitive biases are readily apparent. An obvious corollary is the potential for tax rises and associated behavioural changes.