GEORGE OSBORNE revealed yesterday that there were “no plans” to publish the Prime Minister’s personal tax returns — despite an earlier suggestion that senior ministers should do so.

The Chancellor told the Sunday Times newspaper that the plan, first mooted in 2012 as a move to improve transparency in government, was complicated by issues of “confidentiality.”

David Cameron and other members of the coalition faced intense pressure to say whether they benefited from a decision in that year’s Budget to reduce the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p.

But Mr Osborne told the paper: “There are genuine issues around taxpayer confidentiality and how it would work in practice.

“You see it as a feature of some American campaigns but I think there would be quite a lot of practical difficulties. There are no plans at this point.

“The income I receive is publicly declared.”

At the time Mr Cameron, who earns £142,500 a year from Parliament, was said to be “very happy” for the information to be released, but the move would be unprecedented for a sitting prime minister.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats said in 2012 they would not be opposed to publishing tax details.