Threshold freeze to hit 1.5m more workers than forecast New calculations by the Centre for Economics and Business Research show that 4.2m workers will become basic rate taxpayers because of the freeze on tax thresholds, while 2.6m will be dragged into the higher rate band. This means the number of taxpayers brought into higher tax brackets in 2024-25 will be 1.5m higher than previously forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The think tank now estimates the Government will raise £25.9bn from the freeze next year, against the OBR's forecast of £21.9bn. Pushpin Singh, of the CEBR, said that “stickier inflation is likely to translate into heightened wage growth in the short term, resulting in an increased number of individuals being pushed into higher tax brackets."