British founders bagging a few Budget wins after dodging exit tax

Reeves proposed the 'start, scale, stay' mantra with tax incentives and regulato

Startup founders went into this week’s Budget in a state of quasi-panic.

Rumours of a so-called ‘exit tax’ on wealthy individuals, fuelled by weeks of speculation that the UK had bubbled, fuelling fears that Britain was about to hurt its own ecosystem.

Far from taxing entrepreneurs on the way out, Rachel Reeves used her second Autumn Budget statement to shower the ecosystem with measures aimed at keeping their roots firmly on home soil.

The Chancellor boosted enterprise management incentives (EMI) share option limits, launched a major call for evidence on backing founders, and offered companies choosing to list in London a three-year exemption from stamp duty – an inaugural sweetener worth up to £50m a yea