Wetherspoons founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin is the top taxpayer in the South West of England, it has been revealed. A total of 12 people or families from the region were named on the latest for 2024.
The sixth edition of the tax list 鈥 released as millions of people race to meet the self-assessment deadline 鈥 features figures from the worlds of music and arts, high finance and the high street, as well as billionaire aristocrats and rags-to-riches entrepreneurs.
The 100 wealthy individuals or families revealed in this year鈥檚 rankings were liable for a total of 拢5.353bn of 海角视频 tax last year between them.
Sir Tim, who lives in Exeter and was knighted in the New Year's honours list after being recognised for his services to hospitality and culture, paid a whopping 拢167.1m in tax last year, meaning he was one of the biggest taxpayers in Britain. The pub chain founder ranked 5th in the 海角视频 overall.
The JD Wetherspoon chief told the Sunday Times it was 鈥渧itally important鈥 that more companies reported all the tax they paid. 鈥淲ithout this perspective people may become more cynical about free enterprise, which is the vital engine of prosperity, and thereby freedom, for democratic societies," he said.
Vacuum cleaner magnate Sir James Dyson and his family came in second place on the South West list, paying 拢156m in tax, and ranking sixth in Britain. Sir James founded Dyson in Wiltshire in 1991 and has since grown the company to a global operation of 14,000 staff.
Last year, the company, which employs thousands of people at its base in Malmesbury, announced plans for a new 拢100m technology centre in Bristol.
The founders and owners of Guernsey-headquartered Specsavers - Dame Mary and Douglas Perkins and family - contributed 拢97.7m in tax last year, meaning they were the third-biggest taxpayers in the South West. The Perkins family, who started the optical retail chain from a table tennis table in their spare room, were ranked 11 on the national list.
Hargreaves Lansdown co-founder Peter Hargreaves came in fourth place, paying 拢33.3m in tax. The Bristol finance tycoon placed 38 in the national rankings.
Robert Watts, the compiler of the Sunday Times Tax List, said: 鈥淭he tax list is a reflection of the state of our public finances and is sobering reading for all political parties in the run-up to the election.鈥
He added: "If you look at the bottom 98 in this year's list they paid 拢4.0335bn, 拢200m less than last year. That鈥檚 the amount the government pledged to the NHS to boost winter resilience. Two thirds of the wealthy individuals in 2023's tax list were found to have paid less tax this year.
"That was usually because their businesses have reported lower profits. But lower tax receipts from the 海角视频's richest people may raise more than the odd eyebrow at a time when the public finances remain stretched and there is talk of budget giveaways in the air."
The tax list rankings include corporation tax, dividend tax, capital gains tax, income tax and payroll taxes as well as gambling and alcohol duties, according to the most recently filed company accounts by January 16. These are calculated in proportion with ownership of the company in question.
The Sunday Times said that absence from the tax list did not imply individuals are not paying their 海角视频 taxes; simply that the compilers have been unable to estimate how much they have paid.
