By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
After all the furore over the non-story of Cameron's tax affairs, it got me thinking. Do people think they pay enough tax to cover what they 'get back' so to speak? Let's look at what we cost the state, or may cost the state -
Midwives and medical/hospital staff when born. I believe this carries on for a few weeks/months afterwards? (someone else can no doubt verify on that point)
Maternity/Paternity leave for your parents and then for you if you have children (again unsure of the exact rules as I don't have children)
Child benefit
Schooling
Health Services throughout life (doctors, hospitals, dentist, etc etc etc)
Pension upon retirement
Some people obviously use other services as well depending on circumstances (job seeking allowance, housing benefit, sickness benefit etc, etc)
I'd say all that potentially adds up to a pretty hefty amount for all of us, with some more than others depending on circumstances.. Do we in fact pay enough tax to cover what we 'take out' or 'get back'? I don't know the answer, I was just pondering it.
The kind of weird shit I think about. Suppose it could be considered philosophical or sociological.........or alternatively the damaging effects of too much booze and gear over the years
Unless you are unemployed or, otherwise, on benefits, you are effectively in receipt of the proceeds of tax when your are young (being born, childhood illnesses and education) and at the end of your life (pensions and increasing demand on the health service). So from 22-65 you are probably a net contributor.
As an aside, that is why immigration could be considered a positive thing. Most immigrants are well educated, in work and not old enough to be a burden on the state.
If you hadn't already noticed, I do have a liking for being deliberately contentious.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky
Didn't their used to be a "Tax Freedom" day? I think this took into account all tax which people in employment paid, whether direct or indirect. Then it assumed employees paid all these taxes upfront from their salary, and came up with the average date in each year from when people kept the remainder of what they earned for the year.
Must be a good 10 years or so since I have heard this referred to, but at that time the "Tax Free Date" had finally crept from July into August.
Not sure if this is quite what you mean but interesting article as in contrast to the impression we often get, of wholesale tax dodging, the top 1% of earners pay a large proportion -30% - of income tax received. People who earn less than £36,000 make no net contribution because they take out, on average, as much as they put in.
So overall it's only the top 40% of income earners by household actually pay in enough to cover the services they receive.
Every man for himself, until we all end up living in a cave each and either starve to death or die of an infected paper cut we received counting the useless money we've been hoarding .
Unless you are unemployed or, otherwise, on benefits, you are effectively in receipt of the proceeds of tax when your are young (being born, childhood illnesses and education) and at the end of your life (pensions and increasing demand on the health service). So from 22-65 you are probably a net contributor.
As an aside, that is why immigration could be considered a positive thing. Most immigrants are well educated, in work and not old enough to be a burden on the state.
If you hadn't already noticed, I do have a liking for being deliberately contentious.
Ah yes,the burden of the old. Could you work a bit harder please mate?Your tax money hasn't arrived yet,the smoked salmon has run out and the Bentley needs a new set of tyres.
Ah yes,the burden of the old. Could you work a bit harder please mate?Your tax money hasn't arrived yet,the smoked salmon has run out and the Bentley needs a new set of tyres.
"I'm sorry, Mr Derby, has my grandfather been annoying you?
"He isn't really himself these days, I'm afraid. His 'smoked salmon' was a job lot of pilchards bought after the supermarket fire and the 'Bentley' was what he called his Austin A30 on account of the panel damage.
"Still, he likes to dream. I'm sure this is how he thinks of himself..."
I cover my costs in spades, even after having drawn my state pension for 13 years.
I still pay thousands in income tax.
My £42k pa oral chemo is paid for by BUPA not the NHS.
My dental implants were private but I am on the books of an Nhs dentist.
Once you retire you should not have to pay income tax. This would encourage me to spend on a new car or two, thus aiding the economy.
Tax for those in work should be increased to fund tax free income for pensioners
Tin hat, trenches, etc
[Post edited 17 Apr 2016 10:22]
Sorry to hear about your chemo, and I hope it is going well, but I'm sure that BUPA would in turn claim most, if not all, of that £42k back from the NHS.
Unless you are unemployed or, otherwise, on benefits, you are effectively in receipt of the proceeds of tax when your are young (being born, childhood illnesses and education) and at the end of your life (pensions and increasing demand on the health service). So from 22-65 you are probably a net contributor.
As an aside, that is why immigration could be considered a positive thing. Most immigrants are well educated, in work and not old enough to be a burden on the state.
There is actually no need for taxation of individuals in any form, the state could easily print money to cover costs of public services/welfare consumption providing it maintains sensible controls on its expenditure.
The tax question and austerity purely exist to keep the people under the thumb. All this stuff about creating inflation is cr*p as proven by quantitive easing of the banking system.
I pay the same amount of council tax as the bloke next door. He has four children, I have none. Who uses more of the council resources, schools, rubbish collection, roads etc? I also probably pay more income tax than he does, but as that is based on income and not usage I don't have a problem with that, but the council tax thing seems extremely unfair.
I pay the same amount of council tax as the bloke next door. He has four children, I have none. Who uses more of the council resources, schools, rubbish collection, roads etc? I also probably pay more income tax than he does, but as that is based on income and not usage I don't have a problem with that, but the council tax thing seems extremely unfair.
You are investing in your future . The kids of today will be the Doctors , Dentists and possibly the surgeon that saves your life one day . As well as collecting your bins and fixing your stair lift .
You are investing in your future . The kids of today will be the Doctors , Dentists and possibly the surgeon that saves your life one day . As well as collecting your bins and fixing your stair lift .
Never realised doctors, dentists and surgeons work for the council. Explains a lot.
You are investing in your future . The kids of today will be the Doctors , Dentists and possibly the surgeon that saves your life one day . As well as collecting your bins and fixing your stair lift .
I don't get a bin collection and I live downstairs.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
