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Originally Posted by punky
Yeah, fair point, my comment was a bit blase. Its just that, you seem to be rather fortunate in your wealth, but others like me, and my friends around me, don't seem to be. Not everyone tries to cheat the tax system, but people from every part of life. We travel to France to buy beer and fags because VAT is so expensive. I doubt there is a freelancer out there who declares everything he earns. The annoying thing is, the people at the bottom, and the middle, feel the pinch morew than the top, where money to them is just a number. They are standing on their principals.
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Agreed. What's going on?
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Well, it was just something that popped into my head, so I don't know about the feasibility of it, but certainly at first glance it seems to do the trick. What I thought about was, for personal taxes, the poorest buy less, and they buy cheaper, so they'd pay less VAT than a richer person who buys more, and buys more expensive. Income tax and its supplements seems to be easy to cheat whereas VAT seems to be much harder as it is taken at the checkout. The only way to avoid this is to buy outside the country, so i'm not sure how feasible it is, it was just a thought.
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The problem with indirect taxation is that the poorer tend to pay a higher proportion of their income than the rich. However poor we are, we all have to but food, electrictity, petrol, Booze (well, technically not an essential) etc.
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The trouble you can't really stop people banking in other countries. Its all legal, so how can you convince people to just throw more of their money away? I think the article is more of a class-bashing exercise than anything else. It would be nice if they paid the tax because we'd all benefit, but you can't really blame them for trying to keep their own money. I can't anyway. I will never be rich, let alone super-rich, I doubt I will ever be comfortable. I will always have to work and struggle to get by, but that doesn't mean I have to resent those more fortunate than me? I won't.
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The best way is to tax people and companies before the money can leave the country. And you can clampdown on offshore tax breaks. The point in that artricle about Government intervention, or lack of it, is pertinent now. I also don't resent others more fortunate than me (strange but true - some of my best friends are pot-loaded
), just want them to pay tax like I and you do.
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Originally Posted by Escapee
We dont pay a rediculously high amount of tax....Yeah right.
The only people who dont pay high tax in this country are the ones who have their taxes returned, companies are paying low wages knowing the government will make the employees wages up to a better level with "Stealth Tax refunds" ie: Tax Credits/family credit.
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Sorry, I wasn't very clear. As a nation we don't pay a ridiculous amount. It's just that those who are higher up the food chain get a better deal
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Tax credits should never be allowed, companies should pay wages at a suitable level
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Agreed.
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and families should act resposibly. ie: not have loads of kids if they cant financially afford them.
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I'll have to think about that one
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We can never expect to see then end to family credit whilst many civil servants are receiving help if this area, even employees in benefit offices are getting tax/family credit.
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Well as you say, people should be paid a post-tax living wage.
It's Easter, peace to all, so let's not go there