Big budget boost for e-commerce

For the next three years any small business buying computers or investing in e-commerce and IT will be able to write the entire cost off against tax in the year of purchase.The measure is designed to encourage one million small firms to get themselves online (or, for us early adoptors, to cash in, yippee!)

The move was part of a raft of measures Gordon Brown announced to "make Britain the best environment for e-commerce and catch up with America as swiftly as possible..We are determined to lead in e-commerce and the Internet. And to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs we are forming a partnership with the CBI, the Institute of Directors and the Chambers of Commerce to encourage enterprise in all communities.

And to promote use of the Internet, those businesses which file their tax and VAT returns online will qualify for a £100 tax cut.