Gambling Founders Dominate UK's Top Taxpayer Rankings
The identities of Britain's biggest taxpayers have been unveiled, with gambling industry magnates securing the highest positions while Premier League footballers and pop music icons join some of the nation's most recognisable household names. The eighth edition of The Sunday Times Tax List for 2026 discloses that the United Kingdom's one hundred largest individual taxpayers collectively handed over a staggering £5.758 billion to the Treasury during the past financial year. This revelation comes as millions of ordinary Britons rushed to meet the self-assessment deadline at the end of January.
Betfred Brothers Lead with Record Contributions
For the first time in the list's history, gambling founders Fred Done and Peter Done top the annual rankings after paying an estimated £400.1 million in tax over the previous twelve months. This represents a sharp increase from their contribution of £273.4 million just one year earlier. The brothers established their betting empire, Betfred, back in 1967 and continue to operate from their base in Warrington, Cheshire. Their monumental tax payment places them ahead of numerous hedge fund managers and finance sector figures who populate much of the remainder of the top twenty positions.
Celebrity Newcomers Make Notable Entries
Several prominent new faces appear on the 2026 list, including former One Direction superstar Harry Styles, who enters at number fifty-four after paying £24.7 million in taxes. Two Premier League footballers also make their debut appearances. Manchester City's prolific striker Erling Haaland, who reportedly earns approximately £500,000 per week plus substantial bonuses, contributed an estimated £16.9 million. Meanwhile, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah paid £14.5 million based on his salary, performance bonuses, and various commercial endorsement deals.
Other well-known personalities featuring on the list include author J.K. Rowling, who ranks at number thirty-six after paying £47.5 million – equivalent to around £130,000 daily. Music sensation Ed Sheeran also features prominently, while heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua just secures a place within the top one hundred with a tax bill of £11 million.
Key Findings and Sector Analysis
This year's Tax List demonstrates that every individual or family included paid at least £11 million to earn their place, representing an increase of £500,000 compared to the previous year's threshold. Fourteen taxpayers contributed more than £100 million each, while the total amount paid by the top one hundred rose by 15.5 per cent year-on-year.
Robert Watts, the compiler of the list, explained that this significant increase was largely driven by higher corporation tax rates and increased dividend taxation. He commented: 'The Sunday Times Tax List features household names as well as some of our economy's hidden heroes, quietly successful entrepreneurs who have established companies employing hundreds of people and injecting vast sums into the public finances.'
Construction emerged as the best represented sector overall across the list, while finance and gambling industries dominated the very highest rankings. The research also uncovered that approximately one in nine individuals on the list are no longer resident in the United Kingdom, instead choosing to live in international tax havens such as Monaco, Dubai, Switzerland, Cyprus, Portugal, the United States, or the Channel Islands.
Offshore Residence Concerns
Mr Watts expressed concern about this trend, warning that while many expatriates still deliver substantial sums through their business operations, the Treasury would likely collect even more revenue if they remained liable for personal taxation within Britain. All figures were calculated using the most recently filed company accounts and include corporation tax, income tax, dividends, capital gains, and certain specific duties.
He elaborated: 'Clearly the Tax Listers who have moved offshore are still delivering huge sums to HM Treasury through their businesses, but the Chancellor would undoubtedly be raising even more money from these individuals had they chosen to remain resident and liable for personal tax here. It's difficult to perceive how an exodus of the super-rich from British shores represents positive news for those concerned about the future sustainability of our public finances.'
