Study finds rise in proportion of income taxed

A study of 50 cities showing the proportion of their populations' total income taken in income tax shows that some are paying up to 31 per cent more since the start of the financial crisis.

UHY Hacker Young, an accounting group, says 42 of the towns and cities saw a rise in the proportion paid in tax.

York saw the greatest rise, paying a 31 per cent bigger portion in income tax in 2009-10 than in 2006-07, with Winchester and Aberdeen just behind.

But in St Albans, Salisbury, Durham, Londonderry, Lisburn, Stoke-on-Trent and Peterborough, the proportion of tax fell while income rose. A UHY spokesman said some cities saw an increase because they had more public sector jobs which fell victim to cuts.