§ 56. Mr. Pardoeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the revenue of treating married people as separate individuals for tax purposes.
§ Mr. TaverneI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Runcorn (Mr. Carlisle) on 20th January.—[Vol. 776, c.40.]
§ 61. Mr. Pardoeasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what levels of income under existing tax provisions would married couples with varying numbers of children and with no children, respectively, begin to pay less tax than two single people whose joint income is at similar levels; and how many such married couples exist.
§ Mr. TaverneI cannot give answers to the hon. Member's Question since the position depends not only on the levels of income and family circumstances but also upon how much of the income is earned and how it is divided between the spouses. But in the big majority of cases married couples pay less tax than two 279W single people with the same incomes. The main exception is where the wife has investment income of £120 a year or more. Most of the other cases are surtaxpayers.