HC Deb 11 March 1983 vol 38 c520W
Mr. Hannam

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were paying income tax in each year since 1978–79.

Mr. Ridley

The information is in the following table, which treats a person as a taxpayer if his or her total income exceeds the personal allowances and reliefs available to set against it. Wives with earned income are counted separately from their husbands—that is, a wife is included if her earned income exceeds the wife's earned income allowance and any personal allowances and reliefs unused against her husband's income.

Number of people paying income tax
million
Men Women
1978–79 16.4 9.5
1979–80 16.4 9.5
1980–81 16.1 8.8
1981–82* 16.1 9.0
1982–83* 16.0 8.9
* Provisional.