Irish middle-income workers are paying more income tax than those in Britain, Spain, Sweden, the US and Switzerland.

A new report from the Irish Tax Institute reveals the “squeezed middle” has been hit with hikes in the last nine budgets in a row.

Workers here earning €55,000 a year are now paying on average €800 more than our UK neighbours.

The 50-page report claims that it is income tax, rather than the USC, which is putting pressure on middle-income families.