UK’s poorest paying more in taxes: Report

The poorest 10 percent of British households pay almost half of their gross income in taxes, while that figure is only 35 percent for the richest 10 percent, a new study finds.

The study, conducted by the TaxPayers’ Alliance and published on Monday, found that the poorest 10 percent pay an average of 47 percent in direct and indirect taxes.

According to the findings, which are based on figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics, the average gross income, including benefits, in the group was £9,743 in 2012-2013; however, after paying taxes, they were left with £5,132.

This is while the country’s wealthiest 10 percent of households paid an average of 35 percent of their gross income in taxes.

The alliance’s chief executive, Jonathan Isaby, commented on the findings saying that “this analysis shows how pernicious our tax burden has become.”

“Our tax system is neither progressive nor fair, and we need radical reform as well as necessary savings if the way we tax and spend is to become fit for purpose,” said Isaby.

The report follows a recent report criticizing the Tory-led conservative government over its welfare reforms. The children’s ombudsman for England, Maggie Atkinson, said in the report that the country’s poorest “are paying the greatest price” for the government’s attempts to cut the public deficit.

The current UK government led by Prime Minister David Cameron launched austerity measures when it came to power in 2010 in a bid to tackle the country’s mounting debt and sluggish growth, but the policies have sparked public protests in recent years.