- Written by Sam Groot
- BBC News business reporter
image source, Getty Images
Russian-born billionaires JK Rowling and Ed Sheeran have been named to the latest list of Britain's highest taxpayers.
The 100 donors ranked by the Sunday Times were judged to have added £5.35bn to the exchequer last year.
The paper estimated taxes paid on business profits, stock sales, dividends, home purchases and personal income.
According to the report, two-thirds of the list paid less tax in 2023 than the previous year.
Alex Garko, a financial trader from Moscow, topped the index, followed by former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, while Dennis Coates, head of gambling company Bet365, came in third place.
Mr Ecclestone became a new entrant after paying £650m in tax and fines to HMRC to avoid prison. The 93-year-old failed to declare more than £400 million held in a Singapore trust when asked to do so by tax authorities in 2015.
As the biggest taxpayer, Mr Garco, who was ranked 15th on last year's Sunday Times list of the richest people, paid an estimated £664.5m in the 2023 financial year – more than £1.8m a day. Equivalent to.
The Russian-born financial trader, who founded the algorithmic trading company XTX Markets, renounced his Russian citizenship and took British citizenship in 2016.
“In the world of algorithmic trading, this guy is a rock star,” Robert Watts, who compiled the list, told the BBC.
The paper calculated that Chancellor Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murti paid around £4.8 million in tax, which fell short of the £10 million minimum threshold for inclusion on the list.
In 2022, Murthy, the daughter of an Indian IT billionaire, was given all the credit after it was revealed that she had a “non-Dom” status, meaning she didn't pay UK tax on her overseas income. Agreed to pay UK tax on income.
Who is the UK's biggest taxpayer?
- Alex Garko, £664.5m. Founder owner of algorithmic trading company XTX Markets
- Bernie Ecclestone, £652.6m. Former F1 manager
- Dennis, John and Peter Coates, £375.9m. Owner of gambling company Bet365.
- Fred and Peter Dunn and their family, £204.6m. Owner of gambling company Betfred.
- Sir Tim Martin, £167.1m. Owner of the pub chain “JD Wetherspoon”.
- Sir James Dyson and his family, £156 million. Vacuum cleaner and home appliance company.
- The Weston family, £146.2m. Owner of brands such as Selfridges, Primark, Ryvita, Silver Spoon, Ovaltine and Twinings.
- Mike Ashley, £139.4m. Owner of brands such as Sports Direct, House of Fraser, Evans Cycles and Jack Wills.
- John Bloor, £118.1m. Owner of Bloor Homes and Triumph Motorcycles.
- Bruno Schröder and family, £114.3m. Investment management company.
It turns out that two-thirds of wealthy people on the 2023 tax list will pay less in taxes this year than last year, but Watts said this is due to lower profits reported by companies. This may be the cause.
“Bernie Ecclestone has donated £652.6m this year, a one-off win for public finances. Without that payment, this year's total tax bill would have been lower than last year.” said. Gambling billionaire Denise Coates, Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins and retailer Chrissy Rucker are among 18 women featured in this year's ranking.
More than a quarter of the entries were based in London, with the remaining eight coming from the South East of England. Thirteen people came from the Midlands, 11 from the south-west of England and 10 from Scotland, where the top tax rate will rise from 47% to 48% from April.
image source, Getty Images
Anthony Joshua paid £12m and came 88th on the list
Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, whose company had a turnover of £129m, ranks 88th out of 100 in the index. He donated more than £12 million in British tax money.
Author JK Rowling ranks 31st on the list, having paid £40 million in UK tax in the past 12 months. Below him, in 32nd place, is Ed Sheeran, who has paid more than £36 million in tax in the UK.
“We know our readers like to compare names on the Taxpayers List with names on the Wealth List, but we wonder why there aren't more people on both lists,” Watts said. Told.
The Hinduja family owns huge business conglomerates around the world, with total assets of £35bn and topped the Sunday Times list of richest people last year, but they are not listed on the tax list. There wasn't.
Mr Watts said this was because their wealth was derived from companies outside the UK.
“The UK has become a magnet for some of the world's wealthiest people. They enjoy the cultural life that Britain runs, its wealth management companies, and they don't necessarily set up many businesses here. “You're probably paying a lot of tax because you're not paying in another country and we only count tax that you're sure will be paid here in the UK,” he added.
A complete list can be found here.
