Boris Johnson wants to slash income tax by increasing the 40p rate threshold from £50,000 to £80,000.
The former foreign secretary, who is running in the Tory leadership contest, wrote in his weekly Telegraph column that he wants to "help the huge numbers that have been captured in the higher rate by fiscal drag".
Some believe that his tax plan will be "an incentive for success", and bring in more revenue for the government.
However, others argue that Johnson is trying to gift taxpayers' money to the rich, using public money for political gain.
The Claim
Johnson's tax plan has received the backing from the Taxpayers' Alliance. Speaking to talkRADIO, the lobby group's campaign manager Chloe Westley said that it was about "encouraging and rewarding success".
She said: "The government isn't giving anything away, they're taking less money away from people who've earned it themselves.
"You will find that when you cut these taxes for higher earners often actually the government gets more revenue in."
Westley pointed to the United States, saying that when income tax was cut there, the revenue increased because the economy was growing - and more businesses were hiring people.
She added: "If you're considering working harder to get a promotion, or starting that small business, but you see that the tax takes for earning more is so high that you won't see much of a difference at all, what's the point in trying harder?
"I think most people understand that if you don't have an incentive for success then people won't want to go out on their own and do the things that actually make the economy grow."
The Counterclaim
However, the Independent's Sean O'Grady argues that Johnson is " shamelessly buying his way into Downing Street", saying that the Tory leadership candidate is "gifting taxpayers' money to the rich" in order to serve his own ambitions.
He says that the tax cut is "aimed with such laser precision" at the Conservative Party membership, who are older, richer and benefiting from investment income.
O'Grady calls the use of taxpayers' money - most of whom are poorer than the average Tory activist - a "new low in national life".
Johnson's tax plan will be partly funded by higher national insurance (NI) contributions - but NI cannot be levied on pensions, income from savings and investments, and rent.
He explains: "Thus the average retired or semi-retired Tory member - they are disproportionately older, richer and retired - with a decent occupational pension, a few dividends and some rent from a buy-to-let or two will receive a bumper tax cut."
O'Grady concludes: "So there it is then. British politics in 2019: a system so corrupt that it allows public money to be used for private political gain. A small and unpleasant taster of life under Bozzer."
The Facts
Boris Johnson's tax plan will cost an estimated £9.6billion a year - and the move could see tax cuts for more than three million people.
It will be partly funded by increasing national insurance contributions for employees, as well as using some of the £26.6bn "fiscal headroom" that is set aside by the Treasury for no-deal Brexit preparations.
According to the Telegraph , a person earning £60,000 is estimated to see their tax bill fall by £1,000 if the threshold is increased.
Currently, workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland do not pay income tax when they earn below £12,500 - they do, however, contribute 12 per cent for national insurance contributions.
Those earning between £12,500 and £50,000 pay income tax at 20 per cent and NI at 12 per cent, while people who earn between £50,000 and £100,000 pay income tax at 40 per cent and NI at two per cent.
People earning over £50,000 in the UK are in the minority. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics , even most of those who are in the top 10 of earners, on average, do not exceed that total.
There are only three regions - London (£81,469), the South East (£54,609), and the East of England (£50,964) - where the top 10 per cent of earners make over £50,000 in a year.
The lowest average annual wage for the top 10 per cent of earners is in Wales, where they make £43,094 a year.
