Bet365, Mike Ashley and JCB: Top taxpayers in the Midlands revealed

Denise, John and Peter Coates contributed more than £375 million in the past 12 months. Denise is Britain's richest self-made woman and last year it was reported she was paid over £270m from her family business.

The Sunday Times Tax List 2024 found that 13 out of the top 100 UK biggest taxpayers are based in the region.

The 100 wealthy individuals or families revealed in this year’s Sunday Times Tax List were liable for a total of £5.353 billion of UK tax last year.

The sixth edition of the Tax List — released as millions of people race to meet the self-assessment deadline — features figures from the worlds of music and arts, high finance and the high street, as well as billionaire aristocrats and rags-to-riches entrepreneurs.

Robert Watts, the compiler of The Sunday Times Tax List said: “The Tax List is a reflection of the state of our public finances and is sobering reading for all political parties in the run-up to the election.”

The 59-year-old retail tycoon Mike Ashley, who was born in Walsall, ranks the second highest tax payer in the region, with clothing and retail brands Jack Wills, House of Fraser, Game and now MatchesFashion all part of his Sports Direct empire.

The Coates are ranked third nationally and Mr Ashley is eighth. His tax contribution was £139.4m.

Fourth in the Midlands and 17th nationally are Lord Bamford and family of Staffordshire's digger giants JCB at £67.8m.

Ranjit and Baljinder Boparan and family, of 2 Sisters Food Group are eighth in the region and 27th nationally at £43.6m.

In 12th and 72nd in the UK are William Lloyd and family of animals feeds business Lloyd's in Oswestry at £15m.

The top UK taxpayer is Alex Gerko, a Russian-born financial trader and founder of XTX Markets, at £664.5m.

Construction was the best represented sector of the economy, accounting for 12 of the entries. Nine were from the property world, including the centuries-old dynasties led by the Earl of Cadogan and the Duke of Westminster.

Mr Watts said: “This has been the highest taxing government since the Second World War and although the total tax take is up – it is only by 3.3 per cent. Bernie Ecclestone seems to have saved Jeremy Hunt's blushes. The total tax found in this year's research would have been a wedge lower were it not for the vast sum shelled out by the Formula One tycoon to settle a long-running investigation.

"If you look at the bottom 98 in this year's list they paid £4.0335 billion, £200 million less than last year. That’s the amount the government pledged to the NHS to boost winter resilience. Two thirds of the wealthy individuals in 2023's Tax List were found to have paid less tax this year. That was usually because their businesses have reported lower profits. But lower tax receipts from the UK's richest people may raise more than the odd eyebrow at a time when the public finances remain stretched and there is talk of budget giveaways in the air.

"Since our first Tax List five years ago our research has found there are wealthy people who do contribute a great deal to the public finances. But we do know our readers like to compare the names on the Tax List with those with the Rich List and wonder why there are not more people who feature on both lists."

The JD Wetherspoon chief Sir Tim Martin told The Sunday Times it was “vitally important” that more companies reported all the tax they paid. “Without this perspective people may become more cynical about free enterprise, which is the vital engine of prosperity, and thereby freedom, for democratic societies.”

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 16. These are calculated in proportion with ownership of the company in question.

The full list is online at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tax-list-2024-uk-biggest-taxpayers-ztf9bjqmq