525,300 Essex people will get Income Tax cut in April

Liberal Democrats are working for a stronger economy and a fairer society, so that everyone can get on in life. That's why we are cutting taxes for working people.

In April, 525,300 people in Essex will get a further Income Tax cut, bringing the total tax cut to £600 a year since Liberal Democrats joined the Coalition Government. Liberal Democrats government have increased the amount of money you can earn tax-free every year. In April this tax threshold will be raised to £9,440, a total tax cut of £600 a year for more than 20 million people.

Liberal Democrat tax cuts for low and middle earners

This welcome news means that 44,610 of the county's low earners have been lifted out of paying Income Tax altogether since the Coalition Government came to power. Someone working full time on the minimum wage will see their Income Tax bill cut in half compared to what they were paying under Labour. Two million low-income workers will have been taken out of paying income tax altogether.

Liberal Democrats want fairer taxes, which is why we made raising the tax-free allowance our number one priority at the General Election - so important that we put it on the front page of our manifesto. When times are tough, with rising bills and wages not keeping pace with inflation, we want to give people real, practical help.

Cutting Income Tax will not deal with all of those problems, but it will make a difference.

The Liberal Democrats aim to increase the amount of money you can earn tax-free to £10,000 by 2015, which would be a total tax cut of £700 a year for most people. Beyond that, we want to increase the tax-free allowance further until it reaches the same level as the Minimum Wage.

Labour's record of unfair taxes

Liberal Democrat action contrasts with Labour's record of unfair taxes. Labour cut tax for millionaires every single year until their last month in power. They increased tax on low earners by scrapping the 10p tax rate. Under Labour, someone on the Minimum Wage paid £1,000 in Income Tax. Lib Dems have cut their income tax bill in half.

Labour helped the richest in society when they cut Capital Gains Tax for hedge fund managers and cut tax on millionaires' pension pots.

Conservatives tax cuts for the richest

Conservatives support tax cuts for the very rich. At the General Election, their priority was to cut inheritance tax for millionaires. In the Coalition, Liberal Democrats have priorised cutting taxes for millions of low and middle earners.