Elmbridge pensioners pay among the highest income tax bills in UK

With an annual figure of £9,500 it’s marginally behind Barnet (£9,606) and ahead of Hammersmith and Fulham (£8,462) in seventh, according to Royal London.

Mole Valley is the only other Surrey borough with the top 10 at £8,000, while both figures are dwarfed by Kensington and Chelsea which is top at £32,250.

The findings were made following analysis of a Freedom of Information (FOI) response from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), alongside data from published sources.

This would be from various income sources – like employment, self-employment and property.

And it was found that pensioners forked over a £24 billion income tax bill in 2015/16, with roughly 88 percent (£21 billion) coming from England.

Royal London’s analysis also found Surrey to be a “hotspot”, with the highest total income tax bills paid by pensioners at £961 million.

Leading the top five, that’s higher than Hampshire (£763m), Essex (£756m), Greater Manchester (£646m), and Kent (£645m).

Sir Steve Webb, Royal London’s director of policy, said: “Many people might assume that once young retire, you cease to be of interest to the taxman.

“But these figures show that this is very far from being the truth.

“The number of taxpaying pensioners has nearly doubled in the last two decades.

“With talk of also requiring pensioners to pay national insurance on any earnings or even pensions, the older population may start thinking of themselves as ‘Generation still taxed’.

“When planning for retirement it’s vital to remember that the tax office will still want a slice of your income, which reinforces the need to put aside enough to secure a decent standard of living.”

Here is the top 10 by local authority:

1. Kensington and Chelsea, £32,250

2. Westminster, £28,938

3. Camden, £18,692

4. Epping Forest, £14,133

5. South Bucks, £14,111

6. Barnet, £9,606

7. Elmbridge, £9,500

8. Hammersmith and Fulham, £8,000

9. Mole Valley, £8,000

10. Cotswold, £7,769