To actually not mind paying tax?

I don't mind paying tax, but I'd like to see it managed better so society benefits well from it. Schools and the NHS are a disaster at the moment.

I’d like there to be a clearer link between tax rises and public spending. For example:

“We’re going to increase income tax by 2% and spend it on the NHS”

I find it really irritating and frankly stupid that the people who were (rabidly, idiotically) in favour of lockdowns are now complaining about tax.

I genuinely want to scream at them - what in the actual fuck did they think would happen if the whole economy shut down for a period of time???

If you supported lockdowns in any way you can completely shut up, entirely and forever, about tax, cost of living, inflation, whatever. YOU ASKED FOR IT.

The same goes for anyone who voted for Brexit.

We don't need more money in the system, we need a population with some basic thinking skills, to stop them making such stupid decisions over and over.

I'm so glad labour are in. At least there's some hope that some people have some sense.

I totally agree OP. Paying tax is a privilege, and a sign of living in an advanced and civilised society.

I'm happy to pay as much tax is needed to support public services and give everyone in society a decent life.

In return I get the great fortune of living in a society where I know things are functional, and that a safety net exists if I ever need it.

I wish pp's would actually look at other countries tax and benefit systems. Comparison is often tricky, due to nuances and currency, but in general, in Europe more people on lower salaries pay more tax, we already have one of highest tax free allowances, and things like pensions are waaayyy more generous.

I agree. I’m a high rate tax family. We are privileged in money. We are happy to pay more tax. We have seen poverty and no one deserves that. The nhs and education system are a joke.

In principle many do not mind paying tax. in practice it can be really painful and seem unfair.

Why are some areas paying way more council tax than others?
Tax bands where you lose child benefit, nursery hours or personal allowance so the amount of that pay rise you get is really gouged.

All flavours of politicians need to keep in mind that the populace wants to feel that they are being treated fairly, and that the money isn't squandered, but spent well.

Isn't it more than you don't like paying into a system if you don't think you're getting enough back?

Tax is not charity, it's a proportional payment we make collectively for the government to run our country for us. It's more akin to a 'milk fund' in a work's staff room, and not a fundraiser

You do you.

I am allowed to be unhappy about pretty much 50% of my efforts going into tax, when other people pay a lot less -talking about proportion, not amount.
Nearly half a week of work is actually a waste of my time. Am I supposed to feel good about it?

I am allowed to disagree about the way said tax are being used.

I am also allowed to be even more unhappy that the wealthy, and I mean the really wealthy people, are not subjects to the same amount. Things like inheritance tax apply to me, they don't apply to the royals and the rest who put things in trust.

I do mind paying tax a lot.

Let's just give them a chance I think everyone stressing

I don’t mind paying tax if I feel I am getting decent public services in return but that’s not the case anymore. Also you sound pretty privileged- I’m a single mum with no family money and I have to pay for everything including expensive housing from my taxed income. It’s a struggle for me and many others who don’t qualify for help but still pay a lot of tax.

Absolutely this! ^^

I’m all for paying more tax if the benefit can be seen. It rarely can unfortunately.

I have been thinking recently - how many people’s council tax is similar or more than their income tax?

eg on £25k income you pay £3.4k tax and NI.

My council tax is around that!

Doesn’t seem to be mentioned at all.

Just because we have hospitals, it doesn’t mean I have access to them for my kids - 2 years to get an ASD diagnosis, no support afterwards. 18 months and counting for my other child to hear from a specialist for his urgent eye problem, otherwise he will have a permanent disability. And no we have not yet seen an NHS specialist. So the fact that we have hospitals is really nothing to do with receiving actual care. Just one example of the many I have. And don’t get me started on my autistic son being able to access the curriculum at school. So no, for my family, there isn’t really much to show for the taxes I pay.

I'd happily pay more tax if I thought that it would change anything. But to get a different result we need to do things differently. Lets start by looking round the world and see what good can actually look like. Which won't happen because there would be outrage at the consultancy cost, so it would end up being carried out by second rate civil servants and politicans with their own vested interests.

Then re-build, resource and fund our public services by taking best practice in each area and creating a truly world class system. Which also wouldn't happen because no Goverment would be in office long enough to deliver it.

So we end up in the same old cycle of second rate services inadequately funded and poorly run, meddled with at every opportunity by self serving politicans and career civil servants, and run for the benefit of the staff not the public.

I don't mind paying if it means better services but I'd like some sort of salary increase to be able to afford it! It's already difficult as it is. My council tax is also shockingly high.

My bottom line is, I want good public services run for the benefit of the people who need them. That costs money so we have to tax the people who can afford it. Me included.

I'm with you, OP. I pay higher rate and my OH pays additional rate- very happy to pay our taxes, although would prefer it if they weren't wasted on nonsense like paying the Rwandan government a quarter of a billion quid for two thirds of fuck all.

@Squareplate yes one of many ‘do they think we are completely stupid’ moments of the past decade.

The 40% rate impact 3.5% of people when introduced, and will be ~14% by 2028.

The £100k loss of personal allowance has been at that level for 15 years.

I agree OP.

We've been through a tough time as a country, with higher taxes/cost of living at the same time as public services being cut. So the worst of both worlds.

I'm happy to pay more tax if that means living in a society which runs smoothly, with good public services, less poverty and less inequality.

I'm happy to pay tax. I'm not happy with how it seems to be squandered.