To be confused by 'high earners' complaining about taxes?

Im happy to complain because im sick of paying out hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax every year (2x companies and a PAYE role too) for it to be pissed up the wall by morons in government quite frankly

Because that works so well in the US...

I've told NHS nurses this and they respond very angrily about "privatisation"

Do you really think higher-rate taxpayers should just accept the waste and mismanagement of the taxes they pay, without complaint? If anything, they have more reason than most to complain - they are the greatest contributors after all.

You think they are morally dubious? Really? Is that because they haven’t simply moved to a lower-tax country, but have instead stayed here, continuing to prop up a broken system and an inept government that so many people depend on?

Correct. In the UK, the NHS has a near monopoly on the employment of medical professionals. In the U.S., medical practices and hospitals compete to hire them. Nurses here can easily make 80k USD per year, and more with specialized experience.

They sold stuff customers wanted and customers voluntarily exchanged money for

What about doctors? £38k as a first job. That's not bad. And the earning increases they get in the future.

If we had a more private competitive system and not a state monopoly they'd be paid vastly more.

In the United States nurses get paid far more. Almost as if in private industry, with competition you get paid for and valued for your skills.

I was educated in the United States.

Why are you being so emotive? Nurses get paid fine here. Starting pay at £31k pay is great and there's scope to move upwards.

let me know your sacrifices please and what you really do in terms of doing an important job...why is it more important than a nurse's job

What an odd post, you think you pay for things as a donation to someone? Thay you’re not paying for a good or service that someone worked to create and deliver.

I've written to HMRC and specifically asked that they don't give my tax dollars to you or your family.
After all....I earnt that money so I should decide where it goes.

🙄

I have no issue with paying my taxes so I'm not the aim of your post.

But no, that isn't how it works. Businesses are mostly not cooperative. Customers pay money in exchange for goods and services. That doesn't entitle them to a share of profits.

Salary isn't really an indicator of how hard someone works either. But generally speaking high earners are paid for their knowledge, experience and skill. And they've normally taken some risks, sacrificed chunks of their lives to prioritise work and progress to be in the earning position they're in now.

I'm not really sure why that would be equal to someone who for whatever reason hasn't done those things.

She’s not saying people on benefits need 48k but when there is a sudden loss of income (at any income) due to ill health you can’t just suddenly cut all your bills, it takes a year at least to move house and sort bills out.

My husband earns just under £200k and with his upcoming promotion is negotiating a bump to £250k. He works very hard and has sacrificed a lot for us. He deserves every single penny.

Do you think people below the poverty line are just not competent when it comes to managing money?

Caveat because I'm nowhere near the 400k income mentioned by the op, and employ less than 200 people.
When I first became a higher rate taxpayer my accountant was flummoxed when I told him I wasn't looking for ways to reduce my tax bill - apparently I was his first client to say that. I wanted to pay my dues.
However, 17 years down the line and
when you pay 75k in tax and ...your mum waits 22 hours for an ambulance while laying on the floor with a fractured pelvis, then yes I think that is something you complain about (MIL in my case)and with the other priorities this government seems to have which are counterintuitive to this country being a good place for my DC to reside in.
I now feel much less keen to pay.
I pay for private health and private education already, and see that as a privilege, but expect the basic infrastructure of the UK to be upheld. That is not happening.

Oh @Jellybunny56i suspect we just can't agree, so I'll try and explain why I am not happy with how higher taxes are taken but support withheld for those same people.

Yes, as I said - I have income protection and critical illness and life insurance AND redundancy insurance. I pay approx £350 a month in those insurances
In other European countries with a flat 50% tax for all, these things are simply there - no additional personal payments needed

Because we earn over £35k our kids get the minimum student loan as we're expected to pay their accomodation - with two kids at uni that's approximately £11k a year.

That's just 2 personal examples of how, we have to pay more.
Others have given examples of losing any support towards childcare when they earn over a threshold.

The issue isn't the high tax, it's the high tax PLUS all these hidden extras. That's why people are so bitter about high taxes. A huge amount of their salary is taken in taxes, AND they must pay additional insurances to protect themselves AND their costs are higher at times for things like childcare, uni fees etc
THATS why people complain, it's why I complain about the high taxes. 50% even 60% would be tolerated IF there weren't all these extra IF the support network was for all and not open to abuse

My son went grammar and did GCSE and A-level economics and read it at the LSE.

No I absolutely do, but that’s what income protection & critical illness cover is for.

Why are confused though people complain about all sorts

Economics was a GCSE option in my state school.