§ Mr. Meacherasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons have been taken out of tax following each budget since 1960; and how many persons had become liable for tax each year by the time of the following budget.
§ Mr. Moore[pursuant to his reply, 8 April 1986, c. 92]: Information in the form requested is readily available only for Budgets since 1979. The table shows the latest estimates of the numbers of taxpayers in each year and the numbers who would have paid tax if allowances had remained unchanged in the previous budget.
Thousands Number of taxpayers* Number of taxpayers* if allowances had remained at the level of the previous year Difference 1978–79 25,900 .. .. 1979–80 25,900 27,200 1,300 1980–81 25,200 26,500 1,300 1981–82 24,800 24,800 0 1982–83 24,600 25,800 1,200 1983–84† 24,300 25,600 1,300 1984–85† 24,050 25,050 1,000 1985–86† 24,000 24,850 850 1986–87† 24,050 24,600 550 * including taxpaying wives. † provisional.