Britain's government ran an unexpected budget surplus in January, reflecting strong income tax receipts that could give finance minister Jeremy Hunt a little more leeway than he thought as he prepares his annual budget.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday reported a seasonal budget surplus of £5.42 billion ($6.51 billion) in January, a month in which millions of Britons pay their income tax receipts.
The ONS reported self-assessment income tax receipts of £21.9 billion, the highest January figure since monthly records began and £5.5 billion more than last year.
"This suggests that the Chancellor will have some wiggle-room in the budget to fund near-term tax cuts and/or spending rises," said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at consultancy Capital Economics, of the January surplus.
The figures, which are not adjusted for inflation, showed the tax receipts were offset by £6.7 billion of interest payable on index-linked government bonds, the highest January total on record.