HC Deb 05 February 1998 vol 305 cc777-8W
Mr. Fallon

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of non-taxpayers without an interest-bearing account. [26234]

Mr. Geoffrey Robinson

Inland Revenue can make no estimate of this from its own records.

In household surveys, about 40 per cent. of adults aged 16 and over who report a gross income below their personal tax allowance also report that they hold no interest-bearing accounts. This would imply a total of about 8 million adult non-taxpayers with no interest-bearing accounts in the population. Similar sources yield an estimate of about 6 million children under 16 holding no interest-bearing accounts.