This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/50517136
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| General election 2019: Does £80,000 put you in the top 5% of earners? | General election 2019: Does £80,000 put you in the top 5% of earners? |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A member of the audience on last night's Question Time on BBC One criticised Labour's policy of raising income taxes for people earning over £80,000 on the grounds that it wouldn't be enough to put them in the top 5% of earners. | A member of the audience on last night's Question Time on BBC One criticised Labour's policy of raising income taxes for people earning over £80,000 on the grounds that it wouldn't be enough to put them in the top 5% of earners. |
| "I am nowhere near in the top 5%, let me tell you, I'm not even in the top 50%," he said. | "I am nowhere near in the top 5%, let me tell you, I'm not even in the top 50%," he said. |
| Presenter Fiona Bruce said Labour, "would raise income tax on those earning over £80,000. You're saying that would affect you because you earn over that sum?" The man confirmed he did. | Presenter Fiona Bruce said Labour, "would raise income tax on those earning over £80,000. You're saying that would affect you because you earn over that sum?" The man confirmed he did. |
| HMRC publishes tables each year breaking down income taxpayers into 100 equally-sized groups based on how much they earn. | HMRC publishes tables each year breaking down income taxpayers into 100 equally-sized groups based on how much they earn. |
| The most recent figures, for 2016-17, show that you needed to be earning £75,300 to be in the top 5%. | The most recent figures, for 2016-17, show that you needed to be earning £75,300 to be in the top 5%. |
| If you adjust that using average earnings figures from the ONS, it's likely that you need to be earning about £81,000 to be in the top 5% of income taxpayers today. | If you adjust that using average earnings figures from the ONS, it's likely that you need to be earning about £81,000 to be in the top 5% of income taxpayers today. |
| But the figures from HMRC exclude people earning too little to pay income tax, which means that the audience member would have been well into the top 5% of all earners. | But the figures from HMRC exclude people earning too little to pay income tax, which means that the audience member would have been well into the top 5% of all earners. |
| He's certainly not outside the top 50% - anything over about £25,000 would put him in the top half. | He's certainly not outside the top 50% - anything over about £25,000 would put him in the top half. |
| All the figures so far have been for the whole of the UK but there are clearly regional variations in these figures. | All the figures so far have been for the whole of the UK but there are clearly regional variations in these figures. |
| While we do not have figures for how much you would need to earn to be in the top 5% of earners in a particular region, we do have figures for median earnings by region, that's the amount you'd have to earn to be in the top 50%. | While we do not have figures for how much you would need to earn to be in the top 5% of earners in a particular region, we do have figures for median earnings by region, that's the amount you'd have to earn to be in the top 50%. |
| The region with the lowest average weekly earnings is the North East of England at £531.10, which is 24% or £168 a week lower than the highest earning region, London at £699.20. | The region with the lowest average weekly earnings is the North East of England at £531.10, which is 24% or £168 a week lower than the highest earning region, London at £699.20. |
| The audience-member also said: "Every doctor in the country earns more than that [£80,000]. Every doctor, every accountant, every solicitor earns more than that." | |
| The ONS publishes figures for average earnings in various professions (it's table 14.7a here). | |
| The median solicitor (that's the one half of solicitors earn more than and half earn less than) earns £41,127 while the median chartered or certified accountant earns £35,730. | |
| For doctors you have to go for the category medical practitioners, which includes anaesthetists, consultants, doctors, general practitioners, paediatricians, psychiatrists, radiologists and surgeons. Their average earnings are £60,838. | |
| Correction: This piece was amended to reflect the fact that the HMRC figures exclude earners who do not make enough to pay income tax. | |
| What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch | What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch |
| Read more from Reality Check | Read more from Reality Check |
| Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Twitter |