article_snippet: the Institute for Fiscal Studies Fiscal Studies said the net effect of changes by the Coalition had raised taxes by an average £255 for every person in the UK.
article_snippet: The respected think-tank found the tax rises totalled £64.3billion – including a £14billion hike in VAT and a £5.2billion increase in National Insurance contributions.
article_snippet: Millions of people have been dragged into paying the 40p tax rate for the first time – and inheritance tax has increased as thresholds have been frozen for years.
article_snippet: Ministers insist the tax rises were needed to help plug the budget deficit left by Labour.
article_snippet: The number of people paying 40p tax has risen by about two million, to five million, since 2010, as the Coalition cut the threshold, and then raised the threshold more slowly than inflation, to help pay off the budget deficit left by Labour.
highlights_snippet: the Institute for Fiscal Studies discovered tax rises totalled £64.3billion - including £14billion VAT hike .
  
highlights_snippet: Millions are paying 40p tax for first time and inheritance tax increased too .
  
highlights_snippet: Ministers say tax rises necessary to help plug budget deficit left by Labour .