84 comments Add a comment
Hmmm where can I begin... Oh I know, over 60% income tax every going to the government month! Okay, I exaggerate a bit here but that’s exactly what it feels like.
Thanks to the choices that this government and the previous ones have made, Britain has turned into the land of high income tax and is just not such a nice place to live anymore. And I for one, am not happy with this situation or for that matter the way in which my taxes are used.
I probably earn a fair amount more than you’re average unskilled or semi-skilled labourer, but I’ve worked hard to get a better job; studied hard and worked long hours to better myself. I also think it is right and fair that I should pay more tax than those on a lower income, but I think this government has gone too far. They’ve skewed the system so that it isn’t worth having a career because it just leads to higher taxes.
Income Tax - It's like being mugged every month...
Just because you earn more, does the government the right to steal more off you? You put blood sweat and tears into earning an income and they say something like, ‘you have got too much money, give it here’. It’s like being mugged every month. In fact it's worse, at least if you're mugged you can report the crime!
It's not actually paying income tax that I object to, it's the fact that other people seem free to thieve off the state in benefits fraud and mostly get away with it; thereby costing me even more in tax to subsidise it.
As for the amount of tax payers money that is spent on immigrants, both legal and otherwise, don’t even start me on that one!Leave a comment
nice idea last commenter there.
My mum did do some charity shop volunteering whilst unemployed and there was a lot of people there on community service.
But what else is there? There would not be enough unpaid work if they made people do the jobs that they consider "fitting" as simply an alternative to doing nothing for dole money. I don't advocate laziness but what these people who want work of some kind from others don't get is that there are people paid to sweep the streets and remove graffiti etc as a real job. They'd be laid off and simply add to unemployed numbers if companies could simply use the unemployed for free.
I do think a miminum wage of the living wage is a sensible idea and would give people an incentive to work rather than working because "they should, you know, they just should" and kudos on the tax simplification idea. The Yanks have it sussed(apart from no NHS which means an extra cost out of your wageslips for Medicaid) by taking your federal(tax to Washington DC-Westminster here) state(Alabama-Kent for me) and local council tax(Camden County- I watch my name is earl, there OR Dartford Borough Council for me). Its based on a % of earnings not the archaic what your house is worth for our council tax. Any americans can tell me if im wrong on that last one.
06/06/13 ahforfoulkessake
My mum did do some charity shop volunteering whilst unemployed and there was a lot of people there on community service.
But what else is there? There would not be enough unpaid work if they made people do the jobs that they consider "fitting" as simply an alternative to doing nothing for dole money. I don't advocate laziness but what these people who want work of some kind from others don't get is that there are people paid to sweep the streets and remove graffiti etc as a real job. They'd be laid off and simply add to unemployed numbers if companies could simply use the unemployed for free.
I do think a miminum wage of the living wage is a sensible idea and would give people an incentive to work rather than working because "they should, you know, they just should" and kudos on the tax simplification idea. The Yanks have it sussed(apart from no NHS which means an extra cost out of your wageslips for Medicaid) by taking your federal(tax to Washington DC-Westminster here) state(Alabama-Kent for me) and local council tax(Camden County- I watch my name is earl, there OR Dartford Borough Council for me). Its based on a % of earnings not the archaic what your house is worth for our council tax. Any americans can tell me if im wrong on that last one.
-6
I'd be happier seeing the following in terms of tax / benefits etc etc.
1) Raise the tax threshold to £16,400 (the living wage) If people need at least that much to survive in modern times, then they shouldn't be taxed on anything below that amount
2) A raise of the minimum wage to match the living wage.
3) Simplified tax structure, right now we're taxed on our wages, taxed on our savings, taxed on our food, taxed on our entertainment, taxed on our travel, taxed on our tax, in some cases we pay tax on our duty which is paid ontop of tax. Get rid of the lot and just take it out of the paycheck, harder to hide from, easier to track what we're paying, and it'd probably cost the government much less to enforce.
4) JSA benefit claimants should be doing something for their money. Yes some do charity work and spend a lot of time job hunting, but it shouldn't be an option. If you're claiming job seekers you should prove you're willing to work by doing community service at least once per week. Not only would they be earning their benefits, but think of the improvement it could make to towns and cities having an army of jobless folks clearing up litter or de-graffiting walls.
28/05/13 MrLlamaLlama
1) Raise the tax threshold to £16,400 (the living wage) If people need at least that much to survive in modern times, then they shouldn't be taxed on anything below that amount
2) A raise of the minimum wage to match the living wage.
3) Simplified tax structure, right now we're taxed on our wages, taxed on our savings, taxed on our food, taxed on our entertainment, taxed on our travel, taxed on our tax, in some cases we pay tax on our duty which is paid ontop of tax. Get rid of the lot and just take it out of the paycheck, harder to hide from, easier to track what we're paying, and it'd probably cost the government much less to enforce.
4) JSA benefit claimants should be doing something for their money. Yes some do charity work and spend a lot of time job hunting, but it shouldn't be an option. If you're claiming job seekers you should prove you're willing to work by doing community service at least once per week. Not only would they be earning their benefits, but think of the improvement it could make to towns and cities having an army of jobless folks clearing up litter or de-graffiting walls.
-6
top 3% of top earners won't be typing comments here. They should be sipping champagne on a yacht u w*nka
14/05/13 Nick
-4
I am supposedly in the top 3% of top earners in the uk according to stats. my taxation is ferociously high and seems to bite harder everytime i try to better myself. My view is the tax system is over complicated unfair and set heavily towards people who use clever accountants.
Instead raise the tax threshold to 12k. Give people an incentive to work and stop punishing people for wanting to work rather than sitting on benefits. Also allow all to earn and spend in the economy rather than keep there money offshore.
The british government has to start thinking outside the box rather than tax tax tax.
04/11/12 skiron
Instead raise the tax threshold to 12k. Give people an incentive to work and stop punishing people for wanting to work rather than sitting on benefits. Also allow all to earn and spend in the economy rather than keep there money offshore.
The british government has to start thinking outside the box rather than tax tax tax.
-10
Everyone is aware that most people on paye pay income tax at around 20% and its a hot issue. BUT does anyone actually realise what their REAL level of tax is? If you add your income tax and your rates and your vehicle tax and your vat tax you will find that your total tax loss from your income approaches 44%. Yes you are paying nearly half of your income to various government and council agencies. So how about it? When are we stupid sheep going to wake up and realise how severely taxed we are and what a much better life we could have if the government stopped grabbing half our pay and wasting it over and over again. We assist in the conspiracy by only complaining about income tax and the newspapers also let us down by never mentioning the real level of total taxation burden carried by the average working person. So when is someone going to find a way of making a real fuss about it?
30/04/12 poortaxpayer
8
Mr Freddie,
I will be paying most of these taxes, at the rates suggested. I am not rich enough to go offshore so I am got here.
OK if you don't want to give half your wealth in Capital Gains or Inheritance Tax: spend spend spend. At least VAT/Sales tax is less than Inheritance Tax [on those average of us to have wealth way over the threshold].
27/02/12 Totaliser
I will be paying most of these taxes, at the rates suggested. I am not rich enough to go offshore so I am got here.
OK if you don't want to give half your wealth in Capital Gains or Inheritance Tax: spend spend spend. At least VAT/Sales tax is less than Inheritance Tax [on those average of us to have wealth way over the threshold].
-2
Not a sound argument though is it!
Firstly most people are in the 20% not 40% tax bracket. (had you forgotten the 50% bracket for real high earners?).
You only pay VAT on spending, not income.
You don't pay inheritance tax (which is generally at a much lower rate than you post) on your income either.
If you added the percentage of every type of tax together it would probably be in the thousands, not hundreds. The truth is that you'll never pay most of these in your lifetime.
Your post was about as inaccurate as it could be.
27/02/12 Freddie
Firstly most people are in the 20% not 40% tax bracket. (had you forgotten the 50% bracket for real high earners?).
You only pay VAT on spending, not income.
You don't pay inheritance tax (which is generally at a much lower rate than you post) on your income either.
If you added the percentage of every type of tax together it would probably be in the thousands, not hundreds. The truth is that you'll never pay most of these in your lifetime.
Your post was about as inaccurate as it could be.
-4
The tax system in the UK is designed to take ALL and even MORE of the money you have ever earned. You cannot save a penny:
Income tax 20% - 40%
National Insurance 11%
VAT 20%
Council Tax 5%-10%
Inheritance tax 40%
Total over 120%
25/02/12 Totaliser
Income tax 20% - 40%
National Insurance 11%
VAT 20%
Council Tax 5%-10%
Inheritance tax 40%
Total over 120%
-1
I agree, provided it is naturally so as a result of being in proportion to the income. I'm not sure that a higher rate is fair though. I've always felt that is a bit like punishing people for being successful.
23/02/12 Freddie
-3
"Just because you earn more, does the government the right to steal more off you? "
Err.. yes it does, because you are in the unique position of earning in the first place and can help those who can't. You may come to depend on public handouts one day yourself, the future is uncertain.
23/02/12 Jones
Err.. yes it does, because you are in the unique position of earning in the first place and can help those who can't. You may come to depend on public handouts one day yourself, the future is uncertain.
-13
Does anyone listen when hundreds of thousands of motorists speak out against speed cameras? Do the government pay any heed to the prediction that over 15 million people are so deeply opposed to ID cards that they will break the law and risk imprisonment? And do they take any notice when millions of people tell them - on their own petition website - that their plans for Road Pricing are flawed and unwelcome?
Do they b*gg*ry. They're in charge, they say, and we can all do as we're bl**dy-well told.
As Bertolt Brecht said, "When government doesn't agree with the people, it's time to change the people"!
11/01/11 DSG
Do they b*gg*ry. They're in charge, they say, and we can all do as we're bl**dy-well told.
As Bertolt Brecht said, "When government doesn't agree with the people, it's time to change the people"!
-18
We all know Nu-Labour is useless,all they do is hand out targets and hope they make everything all better!
Nu-Labour love their targets, don't they? Targets are virtually the only solution they have to any problem, and a very useful one to politicians because it enables them to shift the blame onto someone else. Hospitals falling down and filthy? Give the Health Trusts another target! No, not shedloads of cash, just a target. Patients dying on the corridors? Give 'em a target!
Schools failing? Children leaving unable to read, write or spit straight? Give those idle teachers a few targets, that'll sort 'em out!
Banks going bust? Credit collapsed? Homes being repossessed by the thousand? Businesses failing? GDP falling? Pound worth less than the Zimbabwe dollar? Give the b******s a few targets! What? Why won't it work? Oh, I see. Right, let's give them shedloads of money instead.
28/11/10 DSG
Nu-Labour love their targets, don't they? Targets are virtually the only solution they have to any problem, and a very useful one to politicians because it enables them to shift the blame onto someone else. Hospitals falling down and filthy? Give the Health Trusts another target! No, not shedloads of cash, just a target. Patients dying on the corridors? Give 'em a target!
Schools failing? Children leaving unable to read, write or spit straight? Give those idle teachers a few targets, that'll sort 'em out!
Banks going bust? Credit collapsed? Homes being repossessed by the thousand? Businesses failing? GDP falling? Pound worth less than the Zimbabwe dollar? Give the b******s a few targets! What? Why won't it work? Oh, I see. Right, let's give them shedloads of money instead.
-25
Thisis what happens when you have a government that believes it has the right to shape society. This is what happens when public servants forget that their job is to serve the public. This is what happens when ?belief? enters politics. ?Belief? is our enemy. ?Belief? will destroy us. And that's what worries us about all this sudden public interest in politics. It's not our fault ? as more and more parliamentary abuses have come to light it was inevitable that we would perk up and start taking notice. But heaven forfend that our new government, whatever colour or complexion it may be, should decide that it's actually got to dothings. We've been there. It's damaged our society more than we know. What we need is a government that will keep quiet and do as little as possible. A few parliamentary expenses are a small price to pay, just so long as they LEAVE US ALONE.
14/11/10 DSG
-9
They have interfered in our family lives, told us how to discipline our children, relieved us of the right to defend ourselves against attack and theft, placed limits on the free expression of personal opinion, tinkered with our attitudes to religion, restricted what we can take with us when we fly on holiday, interfered with our humour, lectured us through the captive media to make us believe in global warming, indoctrinated our children about homosexuality, race and the environment, and created specially favoured minority groups with rights to grab land and receive benefits that are not enjoyed by the bulk of the population. In order to carry out their agenda of creating their own vision of a neo-socialist utopia they have spied on us in the streets and on the internet, tagged and labelled us in national databases like a herd of cows, taken our fingerprints and DNA just in case we might ever decide to commit a crime in future, and photographed and recorded our movements on the roads. All for our own good,
14/11/10 DSG
-3
Ray says Grow UP