Families will pay £5.3billion in festive taxes as burden rises to record levels

FAMILIES will have a very levy Christmas this year - paying £5.3billion in festive taxes.

Rachel Reeves’ Treasury is estimated to pinch £184 from each family during the annual shopping spree as the tax burden rises to record levels.

Nationwide figures show the average Brit will spend a total £694 on Christmas.

TaxPayers’ Alliance analysis says £92 of this will go straight to the Government coffers.

It includes £42 in VAT on presents, £18 VAT on entertainment and £32 VAT and alcohol duties on booze.

It means a two-person household will be stung for £184 in taxes - enough to pay for six Tesco turkeys.

Those driving home for Christmas, or to friends and family, will incur an additional £11 charge in VAT and fuel duty.

And Brits flying abroad for some winter sun will pay an average £13 on air passenger duty.

Meanwhile, as British families are clobbered with levies, they’ve also spent £1,400 paying for Home Office civil servants to stay at the Hotel Santa Claus in Finland.

Government documents reveal officials stayed at the four-star festive establishment in October to attend a conference.

Shimeon Lee, researcher at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will be shocked by how much of their Christmas spending will end up in the pockets of the taxman.

“And with Reeves hiking taxes, next year is only set to get worse.

“Labour should make easing the tax burden one of their core missions next year.”