§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1945 (a) the total number of men paying direct tax and (b) the total number of women paying direct tax.
§ Mr. Denzil Davies,pursuant to the reply [Official Report, 2nd August 1978], gave the following answer:
The available information is as follows:
NUMBERS PAYING INCOME TAX 1000 (a) Men (b) Women 1959/60 14,400 6,500 1962/63 15,700 7,100 1963/64 14,300 6,100 1964/65 15,000 6,100 1965/66 15,600 6,400 1966/67 15,900 6,900 1967/68 16,200 7,100 1968/69 16,700 7,500 1969/70 16,600 7,100 1970/71 16,200 6,900 1971/72 16,000 7,400 1972/73 15,800 5,900 1973/74 16,400 6,900 1974/75 16,800 7,700 1975/76 16,900 8,500 1976/77 (provisional) 17,000 8,900 1977/78 (provisional) 16,500 8,200 1978/79 (estimated) 16,900 8,700 These numbers relate to income tax. Most of those paying the other direct taxes—capital gains tax, capital transfer tax etc.—also pay income tax, but the numbers who do not are not known.
The figures are based on the survey of personal incomes. It is regretted that figures showing men and women as separate taxpayers cannot be given on an annual basis earlier than 1962–63, as the survey itself has not always been on an annual basis and has not always been processed in such a way that these figures can be derived.