Should all tax returns be made public?

10 April 2016

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Tax avoidance is the topic on everyone’s lips right now and after media pressure, David Cameron published the last six years' worth of his tax returns on Sunday. Scottish party leaders soon followed. So we wanted to know how public you think tax returns should be? Assume that linked family's returns (ie spouses or children) would be public too. Whose tax returns do you think should be public? Which of these is closest to your view?

Tax avoidance is the topic on everyone’s lips right now and after media pressure, David Cameron published the last six years' worth of his tax returns on Sunday. Scottish party leaders soon followed.

So we wanted to know how public you think tax returns should be? Assume that linked family's returns (ie spouses or children) would be public too.

Whose tax returns do you think should be public? Which of these is closest to your view?

Results

I'm aged under 25 (570 votes)

No one's returns. It's a private matter		182 votes (32%)
Everyone’s returns should be public		69 votes (12%)
All local & national elected officials, the House of Lords and anyone worth over £1m		124 votes (22%)
All local & national elected officials and the House of Lords		114 votes (20%)
Just MPs and members of the House of Lords		38 votes (7%)
Just cabinet and shadow cabinet members		15 votes (3%)
Just the main party leaders		16 votes (3%)
Just the Prime Minister and Chancellor		10 votes (2%)
Just the Prime Minister		2 votes (0%)

I'm aged 25 to 34 (2524 votes)

No one's returns. It's a private matter		869 votes (34%)
Everyone’s returns should be public		406 votes (16%)
All local & national elected officials, the House of Lords and anyone worth over £1m		440 votes (17%)
All local & national elected officials and the House of Lords		520 votes (21%)
Just MPs and members of the House of Lords		182 votes (7%)
Just cabinet and shadow cabinet members		53 votes (2%)
Just the main party leaders		33 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister and Chancellor		19 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister		2 votes (0%)

I'm aged 35 to 49 (4465 votes)

No one's returns. It's a private matter		1628 votes (36%)
Everyone’s returns should be public		636 votes (14%)
All local & national elected officials, the House of Lords and anyone worth over £1m		692 votes (15%)
All local & national elected officials and the House of Lords		1020 votes (23%)
Just MPs and members of the House of Lords		301 votes (7%)
Just cabinet and shadow cabinet members		99 votes (2%)
Just the main party leaders		64 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister and Chancellor		24 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister		1 votes (0%)

I'm aged 50 to 64 (5829 votes)

No one's returns. It's a private matter		2156 votes (37%)
Everyone’s returns should be public		778 votes (13%)
All local & national elected officials, the House of Lords and anyone worth over £1m		866 votes (15%)
All local & national elected officials and the House of Lords		1326 votes (23%)
Just MPs and members of the House of Lords		407 votes (7%)
Just cabinet and shadow cabinet members		194 votes (3%)
Just the main party leaders		71 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister and Chancellor		28 votes (0%)
Just the Prime Minister		3 votes (0%)

I'm aged 65+ (4186 votes)

No one's returns. It's a private matter		1504 votes (36%)
Everyone’s returns should be public		556 votes (13%)
All local & national elected officials, the House of Lords and anyone worth over £1m		790 votes (19%)
All local & national elected officials and the House of Lords		808 votes (19%)
Just MPs and members of the House of Lords		302 votes (7%)
Just cabinet and shadow cabinet members		141 votes (3%)
Just the main party leaders		58 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister and Chancellor		22 votes (1%)
Just the Prime Minister		5 votes (0%)

                   17,574 votes received.

We try to use technology to limit voting to one per person. Occasionally, this may erroneously block a few people's votes (eg, from shared offices). Apologies for that.