Betting queen Denise Coates was Britain’s biggest taxpayer for the second year running, new figures show.
The joint boss of gambling website empire Bet365 and her family, who are worth more than £7billion, coughed-up £573million, according to the annual Sunday Times Tax List.
The figure includes taxes paid by the company and on the dividends and salaries taken by the family.
Two other betting moguls, Fred and Peter Done, the brothers behind bookmakers Betfred, came in third with a tax bill of £191.3million.
The pair have an estimated fortune of £1.2billion.
The list captures taxes based on company results to the end of 2019, and in some instances include part of 2020.
Yet it reveals the amount of tax taken from Britain’s super-rich fell sharply even before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.
The wealthy needed to contribute £13.1million to make it into the top 50 of this year’s list, down from £20.4 million the year before, a 36% drop.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling fell from 19th to 23rd in this year’s rankings, with her tax liabilities dropping from £48.6million to £34.8million, because she earned less.
Musician Ed Sheeran is the most high-profile new entry to the tax list, ranking 32nd with tax payments of £28.2million.
Meanwhile, Sir Philip Green dropped out of the top 50 list as his Arcadia retail empire fell into administration.
Sir Philip and his wife Lady Tina Green were ranked 23rd in last year's list with a tax liability of £44.4million.
Robert Watts, compiler of the tax list, said: “These worrying numbers show the tax taken from many of Britain’s super-rich has fallen sharply, largely because their businesses have seen a downturn."
Carys Roberts, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said the UK tax system was “no longer fit for purpose.
"It’s just too easy for some of the UK’s richest people to avoid paying taxes in the way that most ordinary families have to."
Robert Watts, compiler of the tax list, said: "These worrying numbers show the tax taken from many of Britain’s super-rich has fallen sharply, largely because their businesses have seen a downturn."
