REVEALED: Derbyshire’s richest business owners named among the UK’s biggest taxpayers – facing bills of over £100m

The Sunday Times Tax List 2024 has revealed the highest taxpayer’s across the country, with 100 wealthy individuals or families being liable for a total of £5.353 billion of UK tax last year.

The sixth edition of the Tax List — released as millions of people race to meet the self-assessment deadline — features figures from the worlds of music and arts, high finance and the high street, as well as billionaire aristocrats and rags-to-riches entrepreneurs.

Mike Ashley ranks as the second highest taxpayer in the Midlands and the eighth highest across the UK, paying £139.4m in tax last year.

Ashley owns House of Fraser, GAME, Jack Wills and Sports Direct – which is based in Shirebrook – and sold Newcastle United for £305m back in 2021.

John Bloor, who was born in Derbyshire and currently lives in Swadlincote, also features on the list. He owns Bloor Homes and Triumph Motorcyles, and paid £118.1m in tax last year – ranking him as third highest taxpayer in the Midlands and ninth overall.

The Kirkland Family operate Bowmer and Kirkland, a construction services firm based in Heage. Their tax bill for 2023 was £21.5m, making them the 10th highest Midlands taxpayer and the 54th across the country.

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Robert Watts, the compiler of The Sunday Times Tax List, said: “The Tax List is a reflection of the state of our public finances and is sobering reading for all political parties in the run-up to the election.”

The full list can be found here.