May 28th 2014 was the day when average earners had paid their tax for the year and started working for themselves.

It is calculated by comparing general government tax revenue with Net National Income (NNI). The total of all government tax revenue – direct and indirect taxes, local taxes and National Insurance contributions – is calculated as a percentage of NNI at market prices. This year it comes to 41.09%. That percentage is then converted to days of the year, starting from 1 January. The first day of the year that Britons work for themselves rather than the taxman is Tax Freedom Day. (Adam Smith Institute)

This year it was 3 days earlier than in 2013, hooray, lets hope it comes even earlier next year.

So in 2014, for 148 days of the year every penny earned by Britons was taken by the government in tax.

steve@bicknells.net