Rishi Sunak has dodged questions over whether the tax system needs reform after finally publishing details on his vast personal wealth.
The Prime Minister's tax summary - snuck out on a hectic day in Westminster - showed his income exceeding £1.9million, with £1.64million from capital gains in 2021/22.
His tax bill for the same year stood at £432,493.
Due to capital gains being charged at a lower rate than income tax, the Tory leader paid an effective tax rate of just 22% on all his income, the campaigners Tax Justice UK highlighted.
A nurse - on a salary of just £37,000 - pays a tax rate of 21%.
Asked whether capital gains tax should be higher during a visit to North Wales on Thursday the PM swerved the question.
"I said I would publish my tax returns. I was pleased to be able to do that yesterday in the interest of transparency," he said.
"And the most important thing is what am I doing to help people in this country with the cost of living. That's their number one priority."
But speaking to Sky News, tax lawyer Dan Neidle, said it was a "very good question" whether the law should allow capital gains to be taxed less than employment income.
He said the PM's 22% rate was "not because he has done anything clever or because he is avoiding tax".
"It is because in this country we tax employment income at up to 47% but capital gains on investments at only 20%. That is why his effective rate is so low"
He added: "Whether that is a fair result, whether the law should be like that, is a very good question.
"And weirdly Mr Sunak, who benefits from that low rate, is also the man who has the power to change it."
Keir Starmer also vowed to publish his tax return on Thursday - but did not say whether he would reform the capital gains tax rate in government.
But he added the choices made by the Tories on tax are "obvious". "They always go after working people - just look at the last 12 months," he said.
Executive director of Tax Justice UK Robert Palmer said: "Our tax system is set up to allow the super-wealthy people to pay low levels of tax.
"This is the way the tax system is designed. We need to fix that system by ensuring that the super-wealthy, such as the Prime Minister, are properly taxed.”
Appearing on Sky News the Tory peer and pollster Lord Robert Hayward was asked whether the PM's £1.9million income would have any impact on polling.
He replied: "Everybody knows he is a rich man. He married well. He has got a big income but he has disclosed it. People have to judge It on that basis".
