Initial estimates show that the public sector recorded a £30.4 billion surplus in January 2026, £15.9 billion higher than, or double that of January 2025, and £6.3 billion above the Office for Budget Responsibility’s November 2025 forecast; the highest surplus in any month since records began in 1993 (not adjusted for inflation). In January, tax receipts are always higher than in other months, because of receipts from self-assessed taxes; combined self-assessed Income and Capital Gains Tax receipts were provisionally estimated at £46.4 billion in January 2026, £10.5 billion more than January 2025. Borrowing in the ... (full story)