Billionaire brothers Fred and Peter Done lead List for the first time, with Harry Styles and Premier League footballers also featuring among the UK’s 100 biggest taxpayers
Fred and Peter Done are above musicians, entrepreneurs and sporting stars in this year’s list
The Done brothers have been named Britain’s biggest taxpayers for the first time.
Ed Sheeran, Mo Salah and Harry Styles featured amongst the UK’s 100 largest taxpayers, according to the annual Sunday Times Tax List.
The rankings were led for the first time by the billionaire siblings behind betting giant Betfred. Fred and Peter Done, who established the Warrington-based enterprise in 1967, contributed an estimated £400.1 million in tax over the past year, according to the list.
This followed their tax bill rising by nearly half from £273.4 million the previous year. Their interests now range from property development at Salboy through to HR giant Peninsula.
The list revealed that the top 100 taxpayers contributed a combined £5.758 billion in tax, rising from £4.985 billion the year before.
Numerous individuals on the list, including the Done siblings, faced higher tax bills following alterations to corporation tax rates and other levies by the Labour Government in an effort to fund increased welfare expenditure.
Robert Watts, who compiled the list, said: “This is an increasingly diverse list, with Premier League footballers and world famous pop stars lining up alongside aristocrats and business owners selling pies, pillows and baby milk.
“This year there’s been a big jump in the amount of tax we’ve identified – largely because of higher corporation tax rates.”
Financial trading entrepreneur Alex Gerko secured second place on the list with £331.4 million in tax, followed by hedge fund chief Chris Rokos, who paid £330 million. Meanwhile, former One Direction star turned solo performer Harry Styles featured amongst newcomers to the list, contributing £24.7 million in tax.
Two footballers also made their debut appearances, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland securing 72nd position with an estimated payment of £16.9 million and Liverpool’s Mo Salah thought to have a £14.5 million bill.
Other North West entries on the wider list include the Morris family behind Home Bargains, with an estimated £209.1m tax bill, Sir John Timpson and family (£86.7m) and Together founder Henry Moser (£62m).
Other prominent names on the list included Harry Potter creator JK Rowling, ranked 36th with a £47.5 million bill, and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, placed 64th with a £19.9 million tax contribution.
Six taxpayers remain on the list despite departing the UK over the previous year, amid reports of affluent individuals relocating to sidestep higher levies under Labour or following the abolition of non-dom status.
Those included Revolut founder Nik Storonsky, Wren Kitchens founder Malcolm Healey and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.
Mr Watts commented: “One in nine of the people who make the tax list are no longer listed as resident here in the UK, instead choosing to live in Morocco, Dubai, Switzerland, Cyprus, Portugal, the United States and the Channel Islands.
“Clearly the tax listers who have moved offshore are still delivering huge sums to HM Treasury through their businesses, but the Chancellor would no doubt be raising even more money from these people had they chosen to stay put and remain liable for personal tax here.”