We all work longer for the government

Taxpayers will have to work until 26 July before they can keep what they earn, after paying their share of the cost of government and regulation, a campaign group has said.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) said the average employee would work for three more days than they did in 2007 before they could keep their pay.

The Adam Smith Institute came up with the concept of Tax Freedom Day, which calculates exactly when workers stop paying for the state.

The TPA has now come up with the Cost of Government Day, which includes the burden of regulation on individuals.

Under its revised calculations, the average worker will spend 208 days earning enough gross income to pay for their share of the cost of government spending and regulation.

When the TPA last calculated this in 2007, it was 23 July. Chief executive Matthew Elliott said: “Taxpayers will effectively be working for the government until the summer.”