Every pound the government collects in tax: income tax, National Insurance, VAT (the tax on what you buy), corporation tax and the rest. This is the total, and the hard limit of what the state can spend without borrowing. When receipts rise faster than spending, the gap the government must borrow to fill shrinks; when they lag, it widens.
Source: Office for National Statistics / HMRC
Coverage: UK
Alex Brummer: More borrowing will be a disaster for Britain, we need to cut spending instead
Daily Mail · Alex Brummer · 8 August 2026
In the three months between April and June, HMRC paid out £50.3m in tax rebates. These were for people who
The i · 7 August 2026
Do you need to worry about Making Tax Digital? The This is Money podcast
Daily Mail · 7 August 2026
HMRC tax deadline looms and thousands of people have just hours left to submit application
Daily Mirror · Levi Winchester · 6 August 2026
The amount of money you can make from selling online before paying tax – revealed
The Independent · Emma Lunn · 6 August 2026
Reporting from the left, centre and right of the press.
Families could cut cost of childcare with Tax-Free savings
Daily Record · Ian Bunting · 6 August 2026
In the three months between April and June, HMRC paid out £50.3m in tax rebates. These were for people who
The i · 7 August 2026
Do you need to worry about Making Tax Digital? The This is Money podcast
Daily Mail · 7 August 2026
The latest figures across all Finance metrics.
Deficit · Cyclical
0.0%−0.0%
2030/31
Deficit · Structural
1.6%−0.1%
2030/31
Borrowing · Base Rate
3.75%+0.0%
2026-08-06
Short-Term Borrowing Rate
4.39%−0.0%
2026-08-05
Government Borrowing Rate
4.88%−0.0%
2026-08-05
Debt as % of GDP
94.7%−0.1%
2025
National Debt
£2.93tn+110.1%
2025
Deficit as % of GDP
4.9%−0.4%
2025
Budget Deficit
£148bn−4.5%
2025
Public Spending
£1.35tn+63.6%
2025
Tax Receipts
£1.09tn+74.1%
2025
