The highest amount in salaries tax paid by an individual was $56 million, while the most profits tax paid by a business was $1.38 billion, the Inland Revenue Department said.

The tax payable in 2002-03 (including the final tax for 2001-02 and provisional tax for 2002-03) is primarily computed by reference to the income/profits earned by the taxpayer or company in 2001-02.

The total salaries tax assessed amounted to $30.8 billion, which comes very close to the level for the corresponding period in the year 2001-02.

Total profits tax assessed for the same 11-month period amounted to $38.5 billion, representing a drop of some 13% over the total of $44 billion in the previous year.

On the whole, while the assessable income of the salaries taxpayers remained much the same as in the previous year, there has been a marked drop in assessable profits for companies in 2001-02.

The actual salaries tax and profits tax collections for the whole year 2002-03 will be announced when the year-end accounts are finalised by late April.

The amount of tax paid by a few taxpayers was particularly high, probably because they received incomes other than salaries.

Apart from salaries, bonuses, allowances and share option gains also form part of the assessable income of a taxpayer.

The level of profits tax paid, however, depends much on the business performance of individual companies.

The department will not comment on the level of tax paid by individual taxpayers or companies.

Because of the secrecy provision of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, the Department cannot provide further details on the trade, employment, income or other particulars in respect of these taxpayers.