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Original poster

The top 10% of taxpayers contribute 60% of income tax...

796 replies

MsPinkMarshmallow · 03/11/2025 11:43

I'm fed up of hearing that "high earners" will be targeted by the next budget.

The top 10% of taxpayers pay 60% of income tax.

Don't piss them off. They'll just leave the UK or work less so they're taxed less.

Some more stats: in 2024-25, the top 1% of income tax payers earned 13.3 per cent of total income and paid 28.2 per cent of income tax

35% of adults in the UK pay no tax at all

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General money

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 04/11/2025 14:22

I’m sure the high tax payers aren’t worrying whether they’ll be able to put food on the table if they have to pay more tax.

Perfect28 · 04/11/2025 14:22

Araminta1003 · 04/11/2025 14:16

“If we want 'growth', the smartest thing would be to borrow and invest in green energies and a technological future. Nothing to do with tax.”

We cannot borrow more as we are not getting a bad rate due to overleverage. We cannot only borrow more from our own taxpayers by convincing them that we are investing it wisely. This threads illustrates clearly that nobody is convinced because Labour lied to all of us in their manifesto pledge. Like I said, taxation at the top level is somewhat voluntary. People who do not desperately need the extra cash will pay as much or as little as they want to. Time that the so called “Communists” start understanding this very basic fact.

Plus Marx is completely out of date. Like I said, high stress jobs come with a sacrifice of your time not just in terms of time with your own family, but actual longevity. That requires respect for the sacrifices those people make.

You think only high paid jobs are stressful?

Oh my days.

Perhaps spend like a few hours in the real world yes.

No5ChalksRoad · 04/11/2025 14:22

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:21

Many of this humans are not the responsibility of the UK though.

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Irrelevant. We’re in a global economy with a mobile and quite young global population.

Lougle · 04/11/2025 14:22

MariaMyBeck · 04/11/2025 11:20

NMW night not be liveable on one job. But personal can do multiple and do the gig economy etc. Might be tough etc. But they can do it for a while to build up capital and money to move on to better things

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Are we just conveniently forgetting that the current unemployment figures show that there are 2.4 people available for every job on the market?

Wowisthisit · 04/11/2025 14:23

No5ChalksRoad · 04/11/2025 14:19

There are more than 8 billion humans and increasing every day, on a burning planet where tech is eliminating the need for human labour every day. Natural resources dwindling every day. Liveable areas getting more crowded every day. Other species driven (by us) extinct every day.

Dreaming about how things “should” be is futile. It’s survival of the fittest and those unwilling to do what is necessary are going to be even more swiftly left behind.

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I have no idea what you are talking about in the context of this thread.

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:24

No5ChalksRoad · 04/11/2025 14:22

Irrelevant. We’re in a global economy with a mobile and quite young global population.

Show quote history

No, not irrelevant.

EasternStandard · 04/11/2025 14:24

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:20

Right, why are you expecting absolutely figures though? It's about relative levels, not absolute levels. Those at the top shouldn't be getting ridiculously more than those lower down. Lawyers and Baristas probably don't work in the same company, but lowest level staff shouldn't be getting 10 or even 20 or more times less than highest level staff. If the wealth was more evenly distributed to start with then tax could also be accordingly distributed.

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Yes I saw that sort of thing but I was interested in how it works in reality. Actual base figures, so I can envisage how the economy would handle it.

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:25

EasternStandard · 04/11/2025 14:24

Yes I saw that sort of thing but I was interested in how it works in reality. Actual base figures, so I can envisage how the economy would handle it.

Edited

Show quote history

You can insert based figures based on the suggested parameters, if you choose.

MariaMyBeck · 04/11/2025 14:25

No5ChalksRoad · 04/11/2025 14:01

My dad worked day shift at Dagenham and then drove a taxi till 1am for most of his 20s and early-mid 30s. Fifteen years. It’s how he saved to get on the property ladder & afford to marry and have children.

Lots of people work lengthy hours in two jobs. I’n 62, have a full time professional position and just now starting to shut down my freelance business, which occupied 3-4 evenings and one weekend day most weeks.

I think most people aren’t working to capacity, which is why COL complaints usually fail to arouse my sympathy. People need to hustle more.

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Good on your dad. And good on you.

Digdongdoo · 04/11/2025 14:27

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:22

According to you.

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It's not only me saying it...

EasternStandard · 04/11/2025 14:27

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:25

You can insert based figures based on the suggested parameters, if you choose.

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It’s your suggestion. I wondered if it had got past initial soundbite level lines to see if it could work.

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:27

MariaMyBeck · 04/11/2025 14:25

Good on your dad. And good on you.

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Yes, good on him for driving when probably overtired.

Digdongdoo · 04/11/2025 14:27

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:25

You can insert based figures based on the suggested parameters, if you choose.

Show quote history

Why don't you? Since it is your point, you clarify what you mean.

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:29

Digdongdoo · 04/11/2025 14:27

Why don't you? Since it is your point, you clarify what you mean.

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I have clarified, it's about relative figures not absolute ones.

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:30

Digdongdoo · 04/11/2025 14:27

It's not only me saying it...

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Wow, and? There's quite a few ill thought out responses on here, so not surprising.
I'll be ignoring any of your random digs from now on, have a pleasant life.

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:31

EasternStandard · 04/11/2025 14:27

It’s your suggestion. I wondered if it had got past initial soundbite level lines to see if it could work.

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RTFT, I'm definitely not the only one raising this issue, nor am I the first.

Digdongdoo · 04/11/2025 14:33

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:29

I have clarified, it's about relative figures not absolute ones.

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Relative to what? Other salaries? So who's salary are you changing? Are you pulling the top down? Or pushing the bottom up? How do you decide?

Boohoo76 · 04/11/2025 14:33

Vinvertebrate · 04/11/2025 13:27

I was stating a fact, not opening a debate about teaching salaries. London council tax is lower than most of the rest of the country. So either council tax in London is too low and should increase, or the rest of the country's rates should be reduced. I could be persuaded either way on that one, since I don't own a property there.

If you can't afford to live in London, then don't - it's not compulsory.

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I don’t live in London but that doesn’t mean that I am jealous of people that do because their council tax is a bit lower. I understand that they pay a lot more for some things. I also understand that doubling the highest council tax bands impacts people all over the country many of whom are already paying a lot of council tax. Why do you think it is reasonable to double my council tax bill from £4k to £8k per year?

Where would you like the 9 million people in London to move to?

EasternStandard · 04/11/2025 14:34

GehenSieweiter · 04/11/2025 14:31

RTFT, I'm definitely not the only one raising this issue, nor am I the first.

Show quote history

Yes you’ve said it again I know what you posted. It’s about relative levels.

Can you sell it in more and show how it would work in reality? What are you envisaging, I’m interested in getting past the abstract.

Ie what you would suggest. I’m not sure why the reluctance you have the floor so to speak and people willing to listen.

labamba18 · 04/11/2025 14:37

GasPanic · 03/11/2025 11:59

I guess it depends what you mean by "high earners".

If you mean billionaires then yes they do have the option to leave the country and pay less tax. That sort of wealth brings you enormous flexibility.

If you mean people with assets for example £2-£5 million then probably they don't have the wealth to make leaving the country a simple proposition.

So you get into this "dead zone" which other people might term "the middle class" where people are wealthy enough to have money to tax, but not wealthy enough to take significant avoidance action.

These are the "wealthy" people you can target to get more money. They have enough disposable income/savings to be taxed, but not so much they can afford to spend millions getting away from taxation.

And from then on you can move to a simple conclusion. Poor people generally can't pay much more tax because they are poor, rich people won't pay much more tax because if they want to they can avoid it, so it is the people in the middle that really are the only ones that can be tapped up for more tax and actually make a difference to the countries finances.

The problem is, the world is getting smaller. We are more mobile than ever, and as we’ve seen with doctors, nurses and dentists, they will move. At a certain point it becomes pointless staying even with family ties.

When it’s not just the high tax, but the fact that what you get in return for those high taxes is so shoddy - that’s what gets people angry. not everyone will move of course but enough will or reduce their hours so they don’t pay it and the government will earn less because of it.

ThisRareRobin · 04/11/2025 14:38

EasternStandard · 04/11/2025 14:34

Yes you’ve said it again I know what you posted. It’s about relative levels.

Can you sell it in more and show how it would work in reality? What are you envisaging, I’m interested in getting past the abstract.

Ie what you would suggest. I’m not sure why the reluctance you have the floor so to speak and people willing to listen.

Show quote history

What even is your question here? It's entirely unclear what you're wanting from Gehen.

Why don't you ask specific questions about the concerns you have, and make this into a genuine dialogue, rather than berating Gehen for understandably not monologuing?

Lougle · 04/11/2025 14:38

ThisRareRobin · 04/11/2025 14:18

Alternatively; why should British tax payers subside a business that can only make a profit by paying their staff less than they can live on?

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Because British people want coffee, British people need jobs, and nobody will be willing to pay £20 for a cup of coffee.

96,839 people were employed in coffee shops in 2024

https://www.ibisworld.com/united-kingdom/employment/cafes-coffee-shops/6242/

There are 1.7 million unemployed people in the UK, if you close the coffee shops there will be 1.8 million, and that's before you look at the supply chain jobs.

Cafes & Coffee Shops in the UK Employment Statistics | IBISWorld

Employment statistics on the Cafes & Coffee Shops industry in the UK

https://www.ibisworld.com/united-kingdom/employment/cafes-coffee-shops/6242/

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