Unpleasant Realities 1: Tthe Deficit & The Debt

[Flosshilde]

I have dreamed up a cunning tax-avoidance scheme (act quickly before the government closes this loophohle).

We can avoid paying a large part of the 40% tax levy by limiting expenditure to food, books, wheelchairs and children's clothing. The money saved can be put into an ISA.

This is entirely legal and the government can do nothing about it.

sorry, beef oven, back to the drawing board - the tax is imposed - & paid - before you get around to buying the items you mention, including the ISA. With regard to the latter, it's a 'tax avoidance' scheme only in that the interest is tax-free. You will have paid tax on the money invested.

I expect you knew that.

[Beef Oven]

sorry, beef oven, back to the drawing board - the tax is imposed - & paid - before you get around to buying the items you mention, including the ISA. With regard to the latter, it's a 'tax avoidance' scheme only in that the interest is tax-free. You will have paid tax on the money invested.

I expect you knew that.

Not so Flossie. What you do is you use money from your free-pay allowance (£9,205 by 2013) to fund your ISA.

You see, I have thought of everything.

[teamsaint]

Does that mean that the total amount of tax averages out at 40% each, or that each individual pays a sum amounting to, roughly, 40% of his/her income?
Well, without it who would pay for public services? I'd say tax is 'inherently' good, even if the system is manipulated and mismanaged by those in power.

just that overall, 40% 0f all income ends up being paid to the government in tax. Of course for all individuals it varies, but perhaps not as much as the rich would have us believe.

As to whether tax is "inherently bad", "inherently good" or a "necessary evil", well you could view that as just semantics, since we clearly have it anyway.

The point I am trying to make is not that we don't have to pay for very important services, and to fund them well, but that in the end we are paying our money to the government, and at best we can hope that they spend it well.
I am of course very happy to pay for good quality and necessary services, all the things we do or may need.
But to view paying tax over to governments who frequently misspend our hard earned money as a good thing is not the way I view it.
I trust myself to spend my money better than them. Its just a viewpoint, and I suppose I am saying that we should mistrust our governments less, and ourselves more.
Perhaps governments should concentrate on services more, and less on agendas.

[Flosshilde]

I am of course very happy to pay for good quality and necessary services, all the things we do or may need.
But to view paying tax over to governments who frequently misspend our hard earned money as a good thing is not the way I view it.
I trust myself to spend my money better than them.

Tax is our contribution to the public good, & the government of the day are the people we elect to act on our behalf to decide what the public good - in theory. I don't want money - 'mine' or anyone else's - spent on specious wars.

Teamsaint might trust himself to spend his money more wisely than the government, but, without taxes, would he/she volunteer to spend it on other people's health bills? or subsidising art forms he/she didn't like? Without taxes & governments - in whatever form - essentials like education, health care, etc - & even inessentials like opera - would depend on public charity (& poorer people give proportionately more to charity at the moment, so the rich are evading their responsibilities again)

[teamsaint]

Tax has to be raised. Important services need to be funded and well funded.(including support for things like the arts etc)
But as a general principle, governments ought to earn the right to take and spend our money. All too often they abuse their power, (we all know our favourite example).
I have never suggested anything other than a well funded NHS paid for out of out taxes.

The balance of my judgement in regards to handing money over to the government is mistrust.
It is OUR money. But governments all too often spend it like it is theirs.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

take yer pick

torygraf

staggers

[amateur51]

take yer pick

torygraf

staggers

That Jeff Randall is such a smug know-it-all-NOT innit

[Serial_Apologist]

That Jeff Randall is such a smug know-it-all-NOT innit

Ah yes, the left-wing biassed BBC's faithful expert disseminator of balanced objective wisdoms.

[MrGongGong]

Interesting to hear the ridiculous Tory on the today prog this morning suggesting that because they have been up to dodgy stuff with donations and "access" that we should fund them instead

Usually what happens when you have been naughty is that you DON'T get any sweets

[Serial_Apologist]

Interesting to hear the ridiculous Tory on the today prog this morning suggesting that because they have been up to dodgy stuff with donations and "access" that we should fund them instead

Usually what happens when you have been naughty is that you DON'T get any sweets

I understand it's being seriously considered in giovernment that the BANKS be charged - sorry, TASKED - with putting extra apps (?) on cashpoints enabling/encouraging/emotionally bullying users to contribute to charities of the BANKS' choice.

"Er, excuse me mate, you going to be much longer? Anything wrong?"