Under the Conservative government 4 million people have been taken out of income tax altogether.
Increases to the personal allowance mean about 4 million fewer people had to pay income tax in 2015/16 than did in 2010/11. Changes to the threshold in 2017 are expected to further reduce the number of people paying income tax.
“A tax cut for 30 million people, with four million people taken out of income tax altogether.”
Theresa May, 19 April 2017
About four million fewer people have to pay income tax now than did in 2010/11, according to government estimates.
You can earn up to a certain amount before you have to pay income tax in the UK. This income is known as your personal allowance.
Under the Coalition government the personal allowance went up from £6,475 to £10,600. In total, these changes meant that 4 million people in the UK no longer had to pay income tax and 28 million people saw their tax bill reduced, according to the Treasury.
In 2015 the Conservative government increased the personal allowance again, which was to increase from £10,600 to £11,000 in 2016/17.
On 6th April 2017 the personal allowance went up to £11,500. Together these increases are expected to take another 1.3 million people out of paying any income tax, and to cut income tax for 31 million people in 2017/18.
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