Scotland’s Chunky Tax Take Puts Top Earners on High Alert Again

Crossing the Royal Border Bridge after the 45-minute train journey from Edinburgh into the sleepy town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, it’s hard to tell you’ve traveled from Scotland into England. One look at your tax payment for the month will give you a better idea.

Live in Scotland and your income tax bill rises as soon as you earn about £26,500 ($34,750) a year – less than the UK average. As your salary rises, the government takes an ever larger slice, such that an Edinburgh resident earning £250,000 would hand over about £9,000 more to the government than their counterpart in London. ...