asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the numbers of taxpayers who will be subjected to tax at the marginal rate on earned income after the Budget at (a) 30 per cent., (b) 40 per cent., (c) 45 per cent., (d) 50 per cent., (e) 55 per cent. and (f) 60 per cent. showing married couples as one tax unit and with earning wives being counted separately.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 April 1980]: In the time available, it was not possible to provide the information for earned income, but for total income the estimates are as follows:
| Marginal rate of tax(excluding investment income surcharge) | Estimated numbers (counting marriedcouples as one) | |||||
| per cent. | thousands | |||||
| 30 | … | … | … | … | … | 20,580 |
| 40 | … | … | … | … | … | 280 |
| 45 | … | … | … | … | … | 190 |
| 50 | … | … | … | … | … | 130 |
| 55 | … | … | … | … | … | 60 |
| 60 | … | … | … | … | … | 70 |
| Total | 21,310 | |||||
| Range of total income 1980–81 | Total cost | Percentage of total cost | Total number of taxpayers* | |||||
| £ | £ million | Per cent. | thousands | |||||
| Under 2,000 | … | … | … | … | … | 53 | 3·5 | 1,420 |
| 2,000–4,000 | … | … | … | … | … | 219 | 14·2 | 5,270 |
| 4,000–6,000 | … | … | … | … | … | 292 | 19·0 | 5,390 |
| 6,000–10,000 | … | … | … | … | … | 492 | 32·0 | 6,980 |
| 10,000–20,000 | … | … | … | … | … | 327 | 21·2 | 2,700 |
| Over 20,000 | … | … | … | … | … | 156 | 10·1 | 320 |
| Total | … | … | … | … | … | 1,539 | 100·0 | 22,080 |
| * The number of taxpayers includes married couples counted as one unit. It represents the number who would pay tax in 1980–81 if allowances remained unchanged at 1979–80 levels. The estimated income distribution is based on that of 1977–78 projected to 1980–81 in line with movements in wages and salaries, investment income etc. | ||||||||
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was lost by the Budget income tax changes; and if he will sub-divide this figure according to taxpayers paying at the standard and higher rates, giving details on the numbers of taxpayers in each of the two groups.
| Number of taxpayers* (counting married couples as one) | Cost | |
| thousands | £ million | |
| Taxpayers who would be liable at the basic and lower rates | 21,000 | 1,216 |
| Taxpayers who would be liable at higher rates | 1,080 | 323 |
| Total | 22,080 | 1,539 |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will present his Budget income tax changes according to the total amount of tax cuts, the total percentage of tax cuts and the total number of taxpayers in each of the following income groups: (a) under £2,000 per year, (b) £2,000 to £4,000 per year (c) £4,000 to £6,000 per year, (d) £6,000 to £10,000 per year, (e) £10,000 to £20,000 per year, (f) £20,000 to £30,000 per year and (g) over £30,000 per year.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 April 1980]: The following is the information for a full year at 1980–81 income levels. It relates to the changes in personal allowances, higher rate thresholds, investment income surcharge and the withdrawal of the lower rate band. The information available is not accurate enough to sub-divide the range over £20,000. The costs and numbers are shown for convenience with very little rounding. They should not be taken to be accurate to the nearest £1 million or 10,000.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 April 1980]: The estimated cost of the main income tax changes is £1,539 million for a full year at 1980–81 income levels. Counting as higher rate taxpayers those who before the Budget changes would have paid tax at the higher rate the estimated allocation of this cost is:
Where a husband and wife elect for separate taxation of the wife's earnings they are counted as higher rate taxpayers only where one or both of them have a liability at a higher rate.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total receipts accruing to Her Majesty's Treasury from the net receipts of the Duchy of Cornwall in each of the last 10 years.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 April 1980]: The net revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall accruing to the Consolidated Fund over each of the last 10 years are as follows:
| £ | |
| 1970 | 104,845 |
| 1971 | 108,638 |
| 1972 | 132,523 |
| 1973 | 101,087 |
| 1974 | 72,828 |
| 1975 | 64,604 |
| 1976 | 140,302 |
| 1977 | 125,899 |
| 1978 | 128,191 |
| 1979 | 253,006 |