When politicians won't answer the question

[Elektra1]

Just heard Treasury Minister James Murray on the Today programme talking about the changes to the government's borrowing rules, and changes to taxes in the impending budget. He was asked 5 times whether landlords work for a living (I assume due to changes to CGT and SDLT) and simply repeated the same response ("we are talking about how people make their money").

Landlords clearly make at least some of their money by buying and selling properties, and renting them out. Nothing wrong with that, it's a job. So why not just answer the question? Do they seriously think that the audience is taken in by repetition of the same non-answer? It just makes me think they must be shit at their job (being a politician).

Just going to try once more.

This whole distraction over 'working people' is to stop us recognising that many people pay less tax that those who draw a salary and that is wrong. All forms of income should be taxed at about the same rate.

As soon as I get my last child out of their failing school I too may be much happier (especially as do benefit from Welsh Uni funding).

If you did this you’d add dividend tax, PAYE to CT and you’d pretty much crash new business start ups as the adding them all together would be too high

Well there are still no NHS dentist in city - and local hospital is under more supervision due to massive failing and my local GP is impossible to get appointment with - but day to day we'll be happier.

There are ‘failing’ schools all over the U.K. Indeed, the world. Those labelled as such by Estyn/Ofsted/whatever are not always failing their students, however.

My Labour council spends the lowest per pupil in England and Wales with corresponding lower outcomes at 16 and most metrics post covid show Welsh educational outcomes of UK nations as worst affected. But of course this is nothing to do with Labour who run education at local and national level.

The record NHS waiting list are probably also nothing to do with Labour run NHS either.

According to you earlier on thread Labour messaging not coming across to public is everyone else fault.

Thing is I have voted Labour in the past and think some of the things they do are good or are better than alternatives - but I do feel locally there's a lack of ambition for bulk of local population - and someone telling me it's all rainbows and sunshine when it pissing it down and I'm stood sinking in the mud is just annoying.

Once youngest is out of school - avoiding GCSE changes that are coming- we just have college to go though and I prefer welsh A-level system - and we are young enough not to be too bothered by poor NHS care here- so will have luxury of being less impacted.

many people pay less tax than those who draw a salary
So call them tax-dodgers or some such phrase. Why bring the term 'workers' into it?
Are you just making things up hearing what you want to hear?

I don’t think it’s me making things up

It’s not tax dodging in any case, it’s due to the pp focussing on the tax they’ve heard about but forgetting profit is taxed before payments are made

You need people aware what taxes are paid to think about changing the system, too many misconceptions

All forms of income should be taxed at about the same rate.
Does 'all forms of income' include suits, dresses, spectacles and other such gifts from your backers?

It’s not tax dodging in any case
I didn't say it was tax-dodging. I was suggesting an emotive term that Starmer could have used, which would have made more sense than going on about workers.

I know it was more to pp who thinks it’s the case

If you mean me, I don’t think it’s ’tax dodging’.
I do think the tax system should be changed to be more equitable.

Do you which taxes a sole director pays on profit and payment?

I don’t need to in order to understand that different forms of income are taxed in different ways and at different rates and that they shouldn’t be. You disagree. That’s fine.

@cardibach

"All forms of income should be taxed at about the same rate."

Then there is absolutely no logic in taking any high risk investment such as setting up a business.

Basic economics says higher risk higher return and lower risk lower returns. If you tax higher returns so that you effectively get lower returns anyway then logically you would be better off with a lower return lower risk investment.

Which then in turns reduces economic growth.

No tax will turn a higher return into one lower than if you hadn’t taken the risk. Tax is at a percentage.

Edit before you start: yes, I know about cliff edges, and I also think some of those need reforming too.

Now, come on, who wouldn't want to work - without the security of sick pay or holiday pay - and take on the hassle of a variable income, and the joy of applying for a mortgage - as a sole trader for the sheer joy of it?

@cardibach

"No tax will turn a higher return into one lower than if you hadn’t taken the risk. Tax is at a percentage"

I completely agree no tax will turn a higher return higher risk into one lower than a lower return lower risk.

But it will certainly reduce the differential between the two which in turn definitely reduces the willingness to make the higher risk investment.

Another?
Plus because you don’t like the consequences, it doesn’t mean they haven’t been thought through or decided to be better than the consequence of doing nothing, or doing a range of different things.
Interesting name choice too…

@1dayatatime
My post was in jest because that is the hysterical attitude from some of these posters panicking that they will be hammered in this budget.
I am supremely confident that these things will not happen, it is just hyperbole from those opposed to private schools or higher taxes.

Anyway we need more money from tax to pay for essential services. It is a simple fact, and despite us already being taxed almost as high as humanly possible the previous government have left a mess behind them, which needs to be addressed.

if that is increasing IHT or CGT or NI contributions from employers or increasing tax on dividends or interest or rental income so be it. Something needs doing.

No from your posts it seems you are missing a tax on profit and focussing on dividend tax alone

If you think all the taxes through you'll see what you're missing, they have to be at different rates because the sole director is being hit by more than one tax

Plus as @1dayatatime you need to factor in the risk of setting up a new business, many of which fail.

It's are really poor approach to do as you suggest, it would put a huge barrier to economic growth

Have you only earned PAYE and which sector?