Government receipts: latest evidence and sources
Latest ONS public-finance release
Central government receipts were £104.3bn in July 2026.
That was £4.6bn more than in the comparable month a year earlier.
Published 21 August 2026. Public-finance estimates can be revised as more complete data arrive.
What changed?
One monthly receipts measure, compared like for like
- Central government receipts
- £104.3bn
- July 2026
- Change from a year earlier
- +£4.6bn
- Same monthly measure and accounting basis.
Central government receipts: ten-year direction
Monthly ONS current receipts on a consistent cash basis. The seasonal pattern is why the annual comparison uses the same month one year earlier.
August 2016 to July 2026
Latest published values for July 2026: Monthly receipts: £104.3bn
Why it matters
Receipts help determine how much government must borrow to fund spending. A monthly receipts figure is not the same thing as the annual tax burden or an estimate of what an average person pays.
Explain this number
Definition
Total current central government receipts.
Unit and geography
£ billions · United Kingdom
How to interpret it
The annual comparison uses the same monthly measure and accounting basis, so it shows whether receipts were higher or lower than one year earlier.
Important caveat
This ONS public-sector-finance measure is not the same as a tax forecast, tax-burden ratio or category-by-category HMRC receipts table.
Source and date
ONS public-sector-finance bulletin · Published 21 August 2026 · observation period July 2026