Britain Needs Us — Independent

Section 02 — Every Penny In. Every Penny Out.

Every Penny In.
Every Penny Out.

The government presents spending in aggregate billions. We present it as a company board would: revenue, expenditure, deficit, and every line item translated into what it costs you — per citizen and per household, per month.

Total Revenue 2024/25

£1,139bn

£3,319/mo per household

Total Expenditure 2024/25

£1,284bn

£3,741/mo per household

Net Deficit · Overspend

−£122bn

Target was −£75bn · £47bn over

Per Citizen Tax · Month

£1,404

Every man, woman and child

All figures £bn · Sources: HM Treasury PESA Jul 2025 · ONS PSF · OBR

● REVENUE LINE ● EXPENDITURE LINE ● PER CITIZEN (£/MONTH) ● PER HOUSEHOLD (£/MONTH) ● YOY VARIANCE

DIRECTVisible, named tax — you see it on your payslip or bill HIDDENPassed on through prices — you pay it without seeing it STEALTHThreshold freeze or fiscal drag — a tax rise never called one

Line Item		Prior Year Actual £bn	Budget £bn	This Year Actual £bn	Variance	Per Citizen £/mo	Per Household £/mo
Revenue — What Government Takes In
Income Tax	DIRECT	£248.4bn	£271.0bn	£278.2bn	+7.2 ▲	£341	£808
National Insurance	DIRECT	£162.3bn	£173.2bn	£175.4bn	+2.2 ▲	£215	£509
VAT	DIRECT	£158.1bn	£168.2bn	£169.4bn	+1.2 ▲	£208	£492
Corporation Tax	HIDDEN	£93.9bn	£98.5bn	£101.2bn	+2.7 ▲	£124	£294
Fuel Duty	STEALTH	£24.8bn	£26.5bn	£25.1bn	−1.4 ▼	£31	£73
Council Tax	DIRECT	£38.2bn	£40.1bn	£41.9bn	+1.8 ▲	£51	£122
Fiscal Drag (threshold freeze)	STEALTH	~£20.0bn	~£22.0bn	~£25.0bn	+3.0 ▲	£31	£73
Stamp Duty	HIDDEN	£11.6bn	£12.8bn	£13.7bn	+0.9 ▲	£17	£40
Inheritance Tax	STEALTH	£7.1bn	£7.3bn	£7.5bn	+0.2 ▲	£9	£22
Capital Gains Tax	DIRECT	£14.4bn	£15.2bn	£15.8bn	+0.6 ▲	£19	£46
Business Rates	HIDDEN	£26.1bn	£27.4bn	£27.9bn	+0.5 ▲	£34	£81
Insurance Premium Tax	HIDDEN	£7.2bn	£7.8bn	£7.9bn	+0.1 ▲	£10	£23
Alcohol & Tobacco Duties	STEALTH	£22.4bn	£23.1bn	£22.8bn	−0.3 ▼	£28	£66
Other Taxes & Receipts	HIDDEN	£89.4bn	£93.0bn	£95.7bn	+2.7 ▲	£117	£278
Total Revenue		£1,097.4bn	£1,194.0bn	£1,139.0bn	−55.0	£1,404	£3,319
Expenditure — What Government Spends
Social Protection		£290.1bn	£305.0bn	£317.4bn	+12.4 ▲	£389	£922
NHS & Health		£177.0bn	£186.0bn	£197.4bn	+11.4 ▲	£242	£573
Education		£103.2bn	£112.0bn	£116.1bn	+4.1 ▲	£142	£337
Debt Interest		£82.9bn	£83.0bn	£84.8bn	+1.8 ▲	£104	£308
Defence		£48.0bn	£50.0bn	£54.0bn	+4.0 ▲	£66	£157
Transport		£28.1bn	£29.5bn	£30.6bn	+1.1 ▲	£38	£89
Housing & Communities		£10.2bn	£10.5bn	£11.0bn	+0.5 ▲	£14	£32
Home Office & Justice		£32.8bn	£34.2bn	£35.1bn	+0.9 ▲	£43	£102
International Aid		£12.2bn	£13.1bn	£13.8bn	+0.7 ▲	£17	£40
Ukraine Support		£2.3bn	£3.0bn	£3.0bn	—	£4	£9
Other Departments		£143.9bn	£158.0bn	£165.8bn	+7.8 ▲	£203	£482
Total Expenditure		£1,224.3bn	£1,237.0bn	£1,284.0bn	+47.0	£1,583	£3,741
Net Deficit (Overspend)		−£127.0bn	−£75.0bn target	−£122.0bn	£47bn over	−£64/citizen	−£151/HH

Year-on-year variance · 2023/24 → 2024/25

+£88bn

Revenue increase · +£257/mo per household

+£107bn

Spending increase · +£311/mo per household

−£19bn

Net deterioration · −£55/mo per household worse

Stealth Mechanism	How It Works	Prior Year Actual £bn	This Year Actual £bn	YoY Change	Per Citizen £/mo	Per HH £/mo
Income Tax Threshold Freeze (Fiscal Drag)	Wages rise, thresholds stay frozen — more income taxed at higher rates without a vote	~£20.0bn	~£25.0bn	+£5.0bn	£31	£73
Fuel Duty Freeze (inverted stealth)	Real-terms increase as inflation erodes freeze value	£24.8bn	£25.1bn	+£0.3bn	£31	£73
Inheritance Tax Threshold Freeze	£325k threshold unchanged since 2009 — rising house prices drag more estates in	£7.1bn	£7.5bn	+£0.4bn	£9	£22
Council Tax Yearly Rises (above inflation)	Average band D rose 5% in 2024/25 — never debated in Parliament	£38.2bn	£41.9bn	+£3.7bn	£51	£122
Alcohol Duty Escalator	Linked to RPI inflation — rises automatically each year without a specific vote	£12.4bn	£12.8bn	+£0.4bn	£16	£37
Tobacco Duty Escalator (RPI+2%)	Automatic annual increase above inflation — never a standalone vote	£9.6bn	£10.0bn	+£0.4bn	£12	£29
Insurance Premium Tax (12% rate)	Introduced at 2.5% in 1994, now 12%. Paid invisibly within every insurance premium	£7.2bn	£7.9bn	+£0.7bn	£10	£23
Employers NI Rise (passed to workers)	NI employer rate raised to 15% from Apr 2025. Economists forecast wages suppressed by equivalent amount	£119.0bn	£131.0bn	+£12.0bn	£161	£380
Total Stealth Tax Burden (identifiable)		~£238bn	~£261bn	+£23bn	£320	£758

Professional Data Access

Every Penny In.
Every Penny Out.

WHERE YOUR £3,319/MONTH WENT — 2024/25

Professional Data Access

Every Penny In.Every Penny Out.

WHERE YOUR £3,319/MONTH WENT — 2024/25

Every Penny In.
Every Penny Out.