HC Deb 22 November 1977 vol 939 cc706-7W
Miss Richardson

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) single people without children, (b) married men without children, (c) married men with children, and (d) one-parent families, will be taken out of tax in the present tax year compared with the previous tax year, as the result of all the changes in personal tax allowances in the Finance Bill and those proposed in his statement of 26th October 1977; and, in each of the foregoing cases, what the total number of taxpayers would have been had personal tax allowances in the current year been the same as those in 1976.

Mr. Robert Sheldon

The following numbers of persons, who would have been liable to tax this year if the allowances for the previous tax year had remained unchanged, will not pay tax as a result of the increases in allowances:

(a) Single people without children 770,000
(b) Married couples without children 375,000
(c) Married couples with children 220,000
(d) One-parent families 40,000

Had personal tax allowances in the current year remained at their 1976–77 levels the total numbers of taxpayers would have been (a) 8,500.000 (b) 6,255,000 (c) 6,425,000 (d) 460,000

In these figures married couples are counted as one. In addition about 70,000 earning wives have been taken out of liability to tax.

Mr. Michael Spicer

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what would be the loss in revenue in the financial year 1978–79 resulting from introducing the following income tax scales: 20 per cent. on nil to £5,000, 25 per cent. on £5,000 to £10,000, 30 per cent. on £10,000 to £15,000, 35 per cent. on £15,000 to 20,000, 40 per cent. on £20,000 to £25,000, 45 per cent. on £25,000 to £30,000 and 50 per cent. on over £30,000;

(2) what would be the loss in revenue in the financial year 1978–79 resulting from introducing the following income tax scales: 25 per cent. on nil to £5,000, 30 per cent. on £5,000 to £10,000, 35 per cent. on £10,000 to £15,000, 40 per cent. on £15,000 to £20,000, 45 per cent. on £20,000 to £25,000, and 50 per cent on over £25,000.

Mr. Robert Sheldon,

pusuant to his reply [Official Report, 21st November 1977; Vol. 939, c.542–3],gave the following information:

On the basis of 1977–78 incomes and allowances the estimated costs would be about £7,520 million and £5,030 million respectively.