The value of the retail prices index for January 2012 is 238.0, an increase of 3.9% on the January 2011 figure. The RPI fixes the indexation allowance available in calculating a company’s chargeable gains.

The increase in the standard rate of VAT in January 2011 to 20% was a significant contributor to the falls in CPI and RPI annual inflation between December 2011 and January 2012, the Office for National Statistics said.