To think that taxing high earners even more would actually be a bit unfair?

[bubbleymummy]

I hear this suggested a lot on mumsnet and I really disagree with it. High earners are paying a huge contribution in tax already - thousands and sometimes 10s of thousands more than a lot of people who are clamouring for them to be taxed even more! Why should they be punished for having a highly paid job? How would you like handing nearly half your income over to the government? I think we should be thankful that we do have high earners who are already making a significant contribution. We would be a lot worse off if we drove them away with higher taxes!

Part of the issue is mental attitude. It doesn't bother me if people are different. If relatives can't understand if one person might not be able to afford what they buy for you then that's just tough. Keep giving much lower value things or don't give to most of them or make things. Don't keep up with the joneses is perahps the best advice.

I have spoken about our lovely Tesco value chickens before now on here... organic meat is expensive but people can choose how they spend money in a free society and what might be worth spending on to me (school fees) isn't for others.

yes pay rises or for those of us who work for ourselves without sick pay, holiday pay, maternity rights etc earning more is an incentive. It becomes less so the higher tax rates are and the higher there are the more legitimate measure are taken to claim what you can. I might not bother to claim a £3 parking charge for a work journey if tax weren't high buti t is so every last expense which is work related is claimed obviously. Ditto for many people with pension tax relief or ensuring income is capital or abroad or whatever else the state sanctions. If rates are lower the tax take is higher, the poor do better, business is attracted here and the rich waste fewer resources on tax planning.

It is, partly because I've found it's more expensive. On bad weeks, like this week, I've had to resort to supermarket because it's cheaper and they take cards! But generally you have to buy a bit less I've found. I just don't want to wake up one day and find that they've gone.

Plus it's less stressy. Actually is it really more expensive? The items are, but then I don't waste money on extra food I don't need, two for one offers and cheap mugs and stuff (you know what I mean)

The lower the tax rate the more tax paid (all studies show that believe it or not) so that means more money available for generous benefits. When we reduce UK taxes down from their high of 99% over the years to 40% tax receipts increased. I remember in the 70s when my fairly modestly paid father was paying 60% upper rate tax plus another 15% on top o f that - 85% on any savings interest. High tax rates never work.

If people are unhappy about those who run companies and take the risk of it then there is nothing to stop any of them working for themselves live countless women like I am do. If it's that easy do it.

xenia you need a good bit of capital behind you to set up on your own, to see you through until the time you get established

I started things whilst I was still employed, wrote books etc and I didn't need any capital. It depends what you pick.

swallowedafly if you got a wage rise from 35k to 45k you would be better off by around £565 per month, not over £700...

Yes, I am lucky but stodies on luck show it can be improved. Assume things will go well, take changes, take risks, trying things that may fail, let 9 fail and one may succeed. It wasn't really luck that let me write 30 books( whichi s a side line and not very well paid). It was because I sat at a computer and typed when others might have been lying in bed on a Saturday morning. Anyone who can type on mumsnet could do the same but most don't bother so of course they don't get books published to give one example. Stuff I did in iran last year most people didn't dare to go etc etc. So is it luck I have my personality? Partly.

Its strange- the harder I work, the luckier I seem to get...

Oh that last quote is just bollocks - it related originally to sport in which practice does improve the game - but not necessarily your rewards for playing the game.

I have worked incredibly hard for companies to be completely undervalued, and many people across the country do similarly - wokring hard does not have a direct relationship with earnings - and many people get promoted because their boss has an agenda (eg promote women regardless of ability - as in one discrimination case I worked on for a guy, promote my team to build my empire as in my last employment when one loudmouth boss managed to get a team of 6 headed by a favourite to do the work that one person was handling in a much larger department). Many people find employers develop people who are 'in the right place at the right time' not the people who work hardest.

BS quotes like that make me [bangry]

It is not a bad quote if you work for yourself though.

Also a lot of women are pathetic at asking for more money and valuing themselves and some are silly enoguh to think that if you work hard with your head down you will do well. You need to be seen as well do good work. you need to promote yourself. You need to make sure people know how good you are not just know inside yourself you are. You have to work smart as well as hard and if you really are pretty brilliant you can always work for yourself as people will come to you if you have that brilliance.

Xenia I would say a lot of people, not just women are bad at self promoting.

In my last corporate role I managed 100 people and the number of people I had to kick up the backside to fill out the paperwork to get promoted and actually then earn 10k more....some of them I was so upset that were doing a job a grade 3 times higher than what they were paid for. They were all men.

A lot of my colleagues had similar experiences! I think it depends on what motivates you. A lot of these people were so passionate about what they did/busy travelling, working all hours etc that they put themselves last. It happens all the time.

I don't want to be outed. I've only ever written about my work. It's not hard. Anyone who can write on mumsnet and has time to could instead be writing a book but most people don't bother. Most dont' bother to do many things including as emy says bothering to appyly for promtion. There's no need if they're happy as they are of course, all the more opportunities for those of who might enjoy more pay.