§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the bottom(a) 60 per cent. and (b) 50 per cent. of taxpayers (i) the total amount of income before tax and (ii) the total amount of income after tax for each of the years 1978–79 to 1987–88.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[holding answer 21 April 1988]: Estimates are given in the table for 1978–79 and 1983–84 to 1987–88. Information for other years could only be provided at disproportionate cost. All estimates are based on information reported to tax offices and collected through the annual surveys of personal incomes. For years before 1985–86, estimates exclude employees' contributions to occupational pension schemes and some investment income on which tax is deducted at source.
Percentile of taxpayers1 Percentage of income paid in tax Top 1 per cent. 31.5 Top 5 per cent. 25.9 Top 10 per cent. 23.1 Bottom 50 per cent. 10.1 1 Single people and married couples.