Joan Burton
Ceist:
127
Ms Burton
asked the
Minister for Finance
the number of taxpayers paying tax at the higher rate in 2004; the percentage of taxpayers this represents; and the equivalent figures for each of the previous four years.
[27634/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra
It is assumed that what the Deputy requires is the number of higher rate taxpayers as a percentage of all income earners on the tax record. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the information requested by the Deputy is as provided in the following table.
Distribution of income earners by higher tax rate, 2000-01 to 2004.
Tax Year
|
No
|
Higher Rate
|
|
|
%
|
2000/01
|
540,000
|
30.6
|
2001†
|
535,000
|
29.9
|
2002*
|
487,000
|
26.7
|
2003*
|
555,000
|
29.8
|
2004*
|
614,000
|
32.6
|
† Short tax "year" from 6 April 2001 to 31 December 2001.
* Provisional and subject to revision.
It should be noted that a married couple who has elected or has been deemed to have elected for joint assessment is counted as one tax unit. The numbers of income earners above have been rounded to the nearest thousand as appropriate.