HC Deb 11 February 2004 vol 417 cc1489-90W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of pensioners paying income tax at(a) the higher rate and (b) the basic rate for each year since 1996–97; and what percentage of (i) all pensioner taxpayers and (ii) all pensioners this figure represents in each case. [154509]

Dawn Primarolo

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 2 July 2002,Official Report, column 288W. Final estimates for the years 2000–01 are in the following table.

2000–01
Number of pensioner1 taxpayers (thousands)
(a) higher rate 220
(b) basic rate 2,970
(i) Percentage of all pensioner taxpayers
(a) higher rate 5
(b) basic rate 64
(ii) Percentage of all pensioners2
(a) higher rate 2
(b) basic rate 28
1 Men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over.
2 Mid-year population estimates supplied by the Office for National Statistics.

Note:

The estimate are based on the Survey of Personal Income 2000–01