It mitigates the impact of the rate hike by raising the threshold of earnings to which it applies.

ECONOMIST: A constituency that could make a difference

Raising the threshold for higher tax rates shrinks the number of Americans affected.

CNN: Obama signs bill warding off fiscal cliff

Ministers would notionally be spared the political burden of raising the threshold themselves, but cross voters might well blame them anyway.

ECONOMIST: A new state pension

Sweden's prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, said Monday that the country would guarantee bank deposits and was considering raising the threshold of deposits eligible for guarantees.

FORBES: Market Scan

The deal announced by the Blue Dogs the next day acknowledged this concern by raising the threshold below which firms would be exempted from the mandate.

ECONOMIST: Health reform

But the, so the paybacks I don't think are unreasonable and we will be announcing raising the threshold at which you have to start paying back so there will be less requirement to payback initially.

BBC: Breakfast with Frost

Mr Alexander said the coalition's raising of the threshold at which people started to pay income tax would "lift over a million lower paid people out of tax altogether".

BBC: MPs vote to approve Budget

He said the achievements he would be highlighting included raising the income tax threshold, reforming the state pension and creating more apprenticeships.

BBC: Lib Dem conference: Clegg warning over axing 50p tax