SNP ministers have been urged to follow Jeremy Hunt's lead and hike taxes for the highest earners in Scotland.
Labour has written to John Swinney, the interim finance secretary, to call on him to lower the threshold for the top rate of tax in a bid to protect public services.
It comes after Hunt used his Autumn Statement yesterday to announce a £55 billion package of tax rises and spending cuts as he sought to protect the poorest and pensioners from the impact of rising prices and energy bills.
The move will see 14 per cent of people in the rest of the UK becoming higher-rate taxpayers after the Chancellor lowered the threshold for the 45p rate of income from £150,000 to £125,140.
Income tax bands in Scotland are set by Holyrood - and Labour now wants to see Swinney follow Hunt's lead.
One estimate has suggested as many as 12,000 workers living in Scotland would be dragged in to the top tax rate by such a move - potentially raising £40m more per year for the government.
Daniel Johnson, the party's finance spokesman, said: "Scotland’s economy is entering into some of the toughest times we have faced in recent memory.
"Jeremy Hunt’s cuts to the budget will leave the UK lurching from crisis to crisis with falling living standards and low growth.
"As a recession hits, the Tory message to people struggling is ‘you’re on your own’ - all while they continue to let energy giants rake in billions of profits as bills rise.
"It is only right that, in light of this crisis, those on the highest incomes should pay their fair share of tax. We cannot have the working poor and those in need being made to pay for this Tory crisis.
"That’s why I am today calling on the SNP government to do the right thing and lower the threshold for top rate earners in Scotland from £150,000 to £125,000.
"This will generate substantial revenue that can be put towards protecting and developing Scotland’s vital public services. I hope John Swinney will put partisanship to one side and engage with Labour on this issue."
Swinney said: "We have already delivered the fairest and most progressive tax system in the UK, while raising extra revenue to invest in public services and Scotland’s economy.
"We will consider the impact of the UK Government’s announcements and decisions on Scottish income tax will be taken as part of the Scottish Budget on 15 December."
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