Superdry-founder paid out £23.4m in tax last year

IF you groan every time you see the deductions on your payslip, spare a thought for Superdry founder Julian Dunkerton.

The Cheltenham entrepreneur, who is one of the top 50 taxpayers in the UK, shelled out even more than the Beckhams.

According to the Sunday Times the fashion guru paid an astonishing £23.4million in tax last year, enough to buy 1.3 million Superdry Vintage Logo Lite T-shirts.

That makes him 29 on the list of 50 which is topped by the Rubin family who own JD Sports and paid an eye-watering £181.6million in taxes in the year to April 2018.

Victoria and David Beckham, who now live in the Cotswolds, paid £12.7million in the same tax year, which some say may earn the former England captain and his ex-spice Girl wife a title.

Denise, John and Peter Coates of bet365 paid £156million, followed by James Dyson with £127.8million.

The Sunday Times estimate Mr Dunkerton, who has opened an organic cider brewery in Cheltenham alongside a food and drink emporium, is said to be worth more than £440million.

But shares in the clothing firm he founded on Cheltenham market are floundering so he may not need to pay as much this year as he battles to take back control of the fashion brand.

The entrepreneur stepped aside as a brand director in March 2018 but is now so concerned about poor financial results that hit him in the pocket as well as the heart, he is involved in a bitter tug of war with Euan Sutherland, Superdry’s chief executive officer, over which direction the company takes.

He has threatened to call an extraordinary meeting within weeks in the hope that investors will vote for him to be reinstated and has reportedly enlisted the help of Boohoo’s chairman Peter Williams, the former boss of Selfridges.