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UK, France and Germany UK, France and Germany: why do some countries have so many taxes? UK has 90 taxes. Here they The UK has 90 taxes. Here they all are – Tax Policy Associates Venables prosecution The Venables prosecution – Tax Policy Associates Why Britain has more taxes than Why Britain has more taxes than at any time since 1834 Reform UK overtime tax cut Reform UK overtime tax cut: ten better tax cuts Are UK workers over-taxed? Are UK workers over-taxed? The answer in three infographics
Chart showing France has far more taxes than any other developed country; Germany has the least of any large country; the UK is in the middle
May 30, 2026 Policy

The UK has 90 different taxes. France has 348. Germany has 60. Why?

The UK has 90 different taxes – more than at any time since 1834. France, on the other hand, has 348. But Germany, which has overall levels of tax closer to France than the UK, has only 60. Why is that? And are there lessons for the UK? This is the third in a series. […]
A History of Tax
May 29, 2026 Policy

Why does Britain have more taxes than at any time since 1834?

Tax in the UK is the highest it’s been since 1945. That’s well understood – but another trend has been largely missed: the number of taxes in the UK is at its highest since the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Back then, the Government was fighting France and building the modern state. Afterwards, and over […]
The structure allegedly used by Robert Venables, KC
May 29, 2026 Analysis

The Venables prosecution

As we reported last year, Robert Venables KC is being prosecuted for tax evasion in respect of his own tax planning arrangements. This is the prosecution’s opening note. It includes details of Mr Venables’ tax arrangements, how HMRC started to investigate those arrangements in 2019, and how that became a criminal prosecution. Court blogger Mouse […]
A Jenga tower
May 28, 2026 Analysis

90 UK taxes. On one chart.

The UK has 90 taxes. This chart shows them all, and this article explains why we have so many. Update 29 May 2026: the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury responded to this article by pointing out that the Government had just abolished bingo duty, folded diverted profits tax into corporation tax, and ended the pseudo-tax […]
Reform UK's overtime cut is bottom of the list of tax cuts, in "bang for the buck" terms
May 25, 2026 Policy

Ten better tax cuts than Reform’s £14bn overtime gimmick

Reform UK’s “hard work bonus” sounds simple: no income tax on overtime above a 40-hour week for workers earning under £75,000. But the likely result is modest extra output, massive relabelling of existing hours as “overtime”, and a bill far above Reform’s £5bn estimate. Our central estimate of the cost is £14bn. For that money […]
Photo of Nigel Farage in the House of Commons
May 20, 2026 Investigations

Nigel Farage probably doesn’t owe tax on his £5m gift

Christopher Harborne, a British-Thai billionaire, gave Nigel Farage £5m in 2024. Genuine gifts are usually tax-free. However, Mr Farage has recently described the £5m as a “reward” for campaigning for Brexit. That raises some complex tax issues, and HMRC may investigate the circumstances of the payment. But, on the facts currently available, our conclusion is […]
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