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The 20 towns and cities in Britain that pay the most tax

A new study has found out which areas of Britain pays the most tax - and the results are stark.

With tax at the centre of political debate for several years, the report - by the Centre For Cities thinktank - lays out who has provided the most “economy taxes” - that includes income tax, corporation tax and VAT - to the Treasury’s finances in the years 2014/2015.

The results show how one city’s tax payments in particular outstrips the rest by a vast margin…

20. Middlesborough, Tax paid: £2.56m

The industrial town in North Yorkshire sits at the very bottom end of the top 20, with business in the area dominated by the chemical industry. (Pic: Geograph)

19. Southampton, Tax paid: £2.95m

The largest city in Hampshire lies 75 miles way from London. Jobs in the health and education sector, property and retail help provide nearly £3m in economy taxes towards the Treasury. (Pic: Getty)

18. Cardiff, Tax paid: £3.06m

The Welsh capital is the only part of Wales in the top 20, pulling in over £3m in taxes. Finance and tourism have helped the traditional industrial growth in the city. (Pic: Getty)

17. Milton Keynes, Tax paid: £3.12m

Residing in Buckinghamshire, the town of Milton Keynes is one of the more successful (per capita) economies in the South East. The retail sector provides the most employment in the area. (Pic: Wikipedia)

16. Leicester, Tax paid: £3.15m

With the largest economy in the East Midlands, Leicester is home to several head offices including British Gas and Next. (Pic: Wikipedia)

15. Bournemouth, Tax paid: £3.34m

The popular staycation destination on the south coast unsurprisingly has an economy fuelled by the services sector as tourists flock to the beaches. It stands at 15th in the country on the amount of tax paid. (Pic: Getty)

14. Reading, Tax paid: £3.67

Several British companies have their headquarters in the Berkshire town, which also features a major shopping centre that was voted 16th in a league table of best performing retail centres in the UK in 2007. (Pic: Wikipedia)

13. Aberdeen, Tax paid: £3.75m

Just ahead of Reading in the rankings, the Scottish city of Aberdeen supplies close to £4m to the Treasury, raised from a booming oil industry, as well as advances in fish and agricultural research. (Pic: Getty)

12. Portsmouth, Tax paid: £3.77m

The port city on the south coast is the location of the headquarters of BAE Systems Surface Ships, that is linked to the biggest industry in the area - defence. (Pic: Getty)

11. Nottingham, Tax paid: £4.11m

Just missing out on a top 10 placing, the city of Nottingham was made one of the UK’s six science cities in 2005 by the then chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. The cycling industry was once a major industry here, since Raleigh Cycles was established in 1886. (Pic: Getty)

10. Liverpool, Tax paid: £4.4m

The service industry plays a major role in helping Liverpool become one of the largest economies in the UK. The film industry provides jobs - and taxes - as the area is the second most filmed city in Britain outside London. (Pic: Getty)

9. Sheffield, Tax paid: £4.66m

A survey in 2003 found that the Sheffield district of Hallam was the highest ranking area outside London for overall wealth, with the proportion of people earning over £60,000 a year standing at almost 12%. A surge of redevelopments have pushed up the demand for residential and office space rentals. (Pic: Geograph)

8. Newcastle, Tax paid: £5.61m

Several major shopping areas and the commercial and cultural focus of North East England have helped propel Newcastle into the top 10 of tax payments in the country. (Pic: Getty)

7. Edinburgh, Tax paid: £5.91m

With nearly £6m in taxes paid into the UK economy, the capital of Scotland has the highest percentage of professionals in the country (43%) and the economy is primarily based on financial services, scientific research, higher education, and tourism. (Pic: Getty)

6. Leeds, Tax paid: £6.16m

The northern city of Leeds has over 30 national and international banks, many of whose northern or regional offices are based there. Retail, call centres and media have also provided economic growth to the area. (Pic: Getty)

5. Bristol, Tax paid: £6.41m

Coming in fifth place on tax paid is Bristol, with nearly £6.5m paid in 2014/2015. Bristol is the largest importer of cars in the UK, and the city has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (3.7%). (Pic: Getty)

4. Glasgow, Tax paid: £8.25m

Paying over £2m taxes than Edinburgh, the city of Glasgow comes in fourth place on the list. It has the largest economy in Scotland and has high employment in business and financial sectors. (Pic: Getty)

3. Birmingham, Tax paid: £14.98m

Third place Birmingham, represents a big jump of more than £6m extra paid in taxes. The second largest city in the country is dominated by the service sector, accounting for a staggering 88% of employment according to 2012 figures. (Pic: Getty)

2. Manchester, Tax paid: £16.51m

Despite being second on the list, Manchester’s tax haul has grown by just 1% over the past decade. Two of the country’s busiest airports are located in the northern town. (Pic: Getty)

1. London, Tax paid: £142.54m

With a tax haul nearly £130m greater than Manchester, the UK’s capital is number one on the tax list. London pays nearly a third of UK tax, generating almost as much as the next 37 cities combined. While praising the capital, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said more balanced growth was needed across the entire UK. (Pic: Getty)