To think almost £2000 a month in deductions is outrageous.

[Nataby]

First, I am grateful to have a job which I love and enjoy doing during a time when lots of people are loosing their jobs.

I am currently on maternity leave and my kindly employer is paying me 100 percent of my salary for 4 months. I am going back part time at 3 months as I don't want to get used to being at home and resent needing to go back. I gross with this employer 3000 per month, prior to commencing maternity leave, I did some overtime and earned 2450, which was due to be paid this month. I got my payslip today, and note that after deductions, including 130 childcare vouchers, I netted 3300. Now this is a welcome and much needed amount of money, I am just having difficulty with the amount of money taken out of my pay check. AIBU?

true, but can you imagine how someone working all the hours good brings for a tiny percentage of your wages feels? great for you with enough left over, but there people out there working just as hard for pretty much nothing.

I know which i think is more unfair

where do you live jasmine

The idea of voluntary tax is laughable! How many of us choose to pay the carbon offset tax when we fly? I'd love to know the percentage and I bet it's low. Also once the govt starting meddling in charities and distribution of funds it would become bloated and unworkable, not to mention expensive.

I'd vote for a huge simplification of tax along the lines of a flat rate.

Professional fees would shrivel very quickly because lots of ordinary families have to employ accountants just to negotiate the maze of Hmrc rules at the moment.

Not voluntary tax Alou - Voluntary donations as you would to a charity. The government runs and funds very worthwhile things in this country:

Healthcare, education, good infrastructure, clean streets, street lighting and police that makes our neighbourhoods safer, outreach programmes to make sure people are informed about relevant things in an impartial way.

They help people in difficulty, and get them back on their feet and contributing to society - drug rehab (which helps the individual and lowers crime), DLA which enables disabled people to have a job and adapts their environment so they can live more independently..

There is more than I can list on this page, and its all good stuff.

I wish I lived on your planet Hhlimbo it must be lovely. Personally I think the tax system is not delivering value. The govt has no money, it only has what we give them. If you pay large amounts of tax it doesn't feel that you get value for your money.

Alou - You dont know the value of what we have - it is priceless

How can you put a number ££ on these things, they are essential for a happy, satisfying, productive life - this is exactly the value of public services, it is not measured in £.

Our Healthcare is not in the top ten of world greatness, neither is our education, the police are quick to fine a speeder and slow to investigate a burglary, the streets are utterly filthy and street lighting is patchy it best and being turned off more than on. Infrastructure is a joke, houses are put up quickly without first checking that there are school places and hospital beds available to the inhabitants. Our roads are overcrowded our public transport is patchy, expensive and filthy.

Wow, I must have needed that. Rant :o

Totally agree Al, the biggest annoyance is that it does not feel like value for money. I also have to give the local council £260 per month for street lighting that is virtually non existent, and occasional bin collection. I feel I could organised that service a bit cheaper.

Do you live in my road Nataby? We have to provide our own bulbs and road repairs because it's a private road yet we get no reduction in council tax!

Those are very good points Alouise

We should improve education so that we still compete on the world stage.

We should have police on the streets, working to catch criminals and cut crime.
Street lighting should not be cut.
Councils should make sure education and healthcare is properly provided for all inhabitants - not closing hospitals, A&E or maternity wards.
Road congestion should be addressed, and public transport should be available and affordable for those that need it.

Nataby - I agree they should not cut rubbish collection - who wants rotting food and litter all over the pavements?

Good point, I would be aggrieved AL, if I had to pay in a private estate for the service the council is supposedly providing and get no concession. It's good to see I am not being totally unreasonable.

Natby

Do you mean council tax? That doesnt just go towards bins and street lighting. They might be the only council services you use at the moment, but the council have to provide a lot more than that.

I know council tax pays for fire service, police and lots of other things. I don't object paying per sey, only that, it does not feel like good value for money

Councils get funding from the government - this has been cut for many councils.

Nataby our rubbish collection works out at around a quid a week per household, perhaps you should get in touch with your council if you think it can be done more cheaply?