Britain's top 10 taxpayers paid nearly a £1bn to the government last year, according to the Sunday Times 2019 Tax list.

The richest 1% in the UK contribute 28% of all income tax, with famous names including David and Victoria Beckham in the top 50 taxpayers.

Sir James Dyson, Mike Ashley and the Beckham family were among those who paid the most tax in the UK last year.

The rundown of the top 50 taxpayers in 2017-18 is topped by Stephen Rubin, who is the majority owner of JD Sports and had a £181.6m tax bill last year, according to the newspaper.

Denise, John and Peter Coates, owners of bet365, are second with a £156m tax bill, while Sir James Dyson, who recently announced plans to move his company's headquarters to Singapore, is third on the list with £127.8m.


Chairman of the Ineos group and top of the Sunday Times Rich List Sir Jim Ratcliffe was liable for £110.5m and Mike Ashley, founder of Sports Direct, paid £30.4m in taxes last year.

Image: Easyjet founder and owner Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou paid £20.7m in taxes

Also on the list are easyJet founder and owner Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (£20.7m), the Warburton family who own the baking firm (£14.5m), and the Arora family behind B&M Stores (£25.6m).

The Beckhams paid £12.7m in tax due from their dividends and other levies in the accounts of their two principal companies, the newspaper said. Notable absences, however, include Roman Abramovich and Lewis Hamilton.

In May last year, The Sunday Times Rich List put Mr Abramovich's wealth at £9.3bn and Hamilton was alleged to have avoided paying tax on a £16.5m private jet, which he imported into the Isle of Man in 2017.

Robert Watts, who compiles the Tax List and The Sunday Times Rich List, said: "It's hard to deny that the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and other high-profile scandals have given the impression that none of Britain's wealthy elite contribute a penny to our public finances.

"But our inaugural Sunday Times Tax List shows which of the super-rich are contributing many of millions of pounds a year.

"These are large sums of money - the size that do not merely pay for a nurse, but pay to build the hospital in which they work.

"These figures arguably make the case for the wealthy more effectively than many charitable foundations or other philanthropy these people do.

"The Tax List also raises the question of how our country fills the gap if Brexit - or a more hostile political environment - encourages the super-rich to quit the UK for Monaco, Switzerland or other low-tax bolt holes."