Thread by @thetimes

🔺 EXCLUSIVE: A Moscow-born billionaire who recently renounced his Russian citizenship has topped this year’s Sunday Times Tax List, contributing more than £487 million to Britain’s public finances in just 12 months thetimes.co.uk/article/the-ta…

It's been a challenging year for the exchequer when it was revealed that HM Revenue & Customs failed to collect £42 billion and tax inspectors threatened to go on strike thetimes.co.uk/article/taxman…

🔶 Our research found:

● 100 individuals and families have each paid at least £10.7 million of tax either personally or through their businesses

● The highest taxpayers in Britain include a scrap metal dealer, an athleisure tycoon from Bromsgrove, JK Rowling, the boss of Wetherspoon, Sting and the Duke of Westminster

● The top ten taxpayers delivered £2.333 billion to the government – up nearly 14% on a year ago, continuing the surge in £100 million-plus taxpayers

● A total of £5.181 billion of tax was paid by the 100 entries in this year’s league table

● More than 30 of the individuals and families listed owe their wealth to property – more than any other sector

● Nine of the entries are either based in, or owe their fortunes to businesses based in, Scotland, with two representatives for Wales and one in Northern Ireland. The rest are classed as English

● The Tax List rankings* include corporation tax, dividend tax, capital gains tax, income tax and payroll taxes as well as gambling and alcohol duties, according to the most recently filed company accounts by January 15

Read the full story here: thetimes.co.uk/article/the-ta…

Alex Gerko leads the annual rankings with a nine-digit tax bill. His London-based firm, XTX Markets, handles about $300bn worth of trades a day and paid a £1.3bn dividend in March last year thetimes.co.uk/article/alex-g…