Cameron says top politicians should publish tax records

LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron believes it is right for British finance ministers, opposition party finance spokespeople and potential future British leaders to publish their tax return information, his spokeswoman said on Monday.

On Sunday, Cameron took the unusual step of publishing his tax records to try to end days of questions about his personal wealth raised by the mention of his late father´s offshore fund in the Panama Papers.

"When it comes to publishing tax returns, the prime minister has made clear that he was willing to be transparent, that it´s right for potential prime ministers to also do so," she said.

"The prime minister takes the view that chancellors (finance ministers) and shadow chancellors should show transparency too.

But he is not recommending that it should be the same thing for everyone else involved in politics," she said, underlining that Cameron felt those who were in control
of the nation´s finances should be as transparent as possible.

Meanwhile British finance minister George Osborne published details of his tax records for 2014/15, following the lead of Prime Minister David Cameron.

The disclosures form part of the Conservative government's attempts to draw a line under questions about senior politicians' tax dealings after Cameron's late father was mentioned in the Panama Papers as having set up an offshore fund.

The summary showed that Osborne paid 72,210 pounds ($102,971) of tax on a total taxable income of 198,738 pounds.

That income was made up of his 120,526 pound salary, 33,562 pounds net rental income and dividend income of 44,647 pounds.