..to want to say to those who are whinging about the 50% tax rate

[vic77en]

..that they should fuck the fuck off?

At a time when lots of people are really struggling with high inflation, 20% VAT, high unemployment, lack of living wage etc etc.

If you're earning above the 50% threshold you are well off and can afford it.

I used to earn enough to pay 40% tax (this was before the 50% rate came in and I was nowhere near the 50% threshold) and did not begrudge paying this. If NI and VAT were factored in, over 50% of my income went in taxes. I still had high disposable income.

Rather than giving their views airtime, there should be a massive PR exercise on the benefits to all of us of living in a civil society where there is an economic safety net, NHS, free education (for under 18's at least still...)

AIBU or not?

Oh don't get snippy. I'm on your side economically but all you have to do is say ok fair enough.

Somebody was called stupid, twice further back up the thread. Nobody batted an eyelid.

I don't think paying what you can for your child's education is vile at all: should DH's business take off I will absolutely if it helps my boys in any way, well ds4, the others are blessed enough to be in decent placements now.

Alouise I ahve a studenty desire to wish to be extremist LOL but a mature person's acceptance that extremism rarely works. I am becoming boring!

Pag agree with your posts, as ever.

Gramercy ta, lots of sititing on my arse as a carer FFS, or Dh as a self employed man and FT student. I don't count all rich people as odious or whatever terms are bounced about and I don't expect to be lumped in with people who refuse to work either. I've a degree, almost an MA; shame that comes with 3 disabled children to cope with. That's life and life pees people about and so be it but doesn't mean I deserve the the brush off as lazy.

Posie, no it wasn't worth it. I have a good balance now on my stress levels, how much travel I do and importantly, the impact this has on my kids. There is no point in seeing less of the kids or sacrificing sleep. Over and above that, I wouldn't see half the money anyway. Tax wasn't the driver but was one of the factors. There are people who earn far more than me in my industry who will never pay the 50% tax rate, whereas I have no problem paying it so no need for your sanctimonious pity.

we are a highest rate tax household.

fine. dh earns that much, so it gets paid. I am fine wiht the concept of taxing richer people more, but I do wish that in return for the stupid amounts of tax he pays we could get decent services for our children.

instead we have:

had one child go through school un dx'd and largely ignored during schooling - we had to point out to the school that hse was actually, by their own inflated grading system losing skills - they hadn\t noticed, and didn't bother to do anyhting once they knew. now an adult, and there is no help, even though she is struggling.

paid over £100k so far for dd1's education - just to get her learning. nothing flash, nothing woo or out-there. just a suitable education where she is able to learn. and she is only just 7. we also had to pay out stupid amounts on legal fees to persuade the LA that she a) is capable of learning and b) can do so in a suitable school.

paid ridiculous amounts of money to get dd1's health problems even looked at, let alone alleviated. the nhs won't touch them, and so our only option is private. of course, with these gut issues comes the special diet - again, gp not interested (despite provable results) and so we pay (again!) for special diets (not talking fancy stuff here, but some of it, eg vitamin supplements can be hard to get hold of with the restrictions her diet places - we ship a lot in form the States)

had to do the same for dd2 re: diet, and input form professionals (she is borderline NT/ASD, but since she does not have "clear" (hah! are they nuts? her difficulties are clear to most people, but since they are not on the scale of dd1's they are dismissed) difficulties the nhs is not interested.

and that is before we even get to the more "standard" rich people's lifestyle stuff like private school for dd2 etc.

so, dh pays top whack in tax, and in return we get what? oh yes, to pay even more (and add ti up - we are talking multiple hundreds of thousands - luckily we can afford it) just so that dd1 can have a decent shot at life.

thanks a bunch.

50% is too much, and there would be no need for it if this country stopped being so stupidly generous with welfare and overseas aid.

OMG, I hate this kind of attitude. People like you make me sick

Novice, your choice wasn't about money at all then......it was about your children. Why post the sort of crap and nonsense about income tax then?

Seriously.....you sounded pretty vile.

Just to clarify, I don't have a problem with the concept of paying more, but my point was that it will drive human behaviour, whether its work less, move to Switzerland or manage their tax rate down and that should be recognised by all.

Am loving the welfare bit being over generous! Gonna save up the posting anmes of peopple who do this and come camp on their lawns if and when we ever lose the house

And yes Sf that makes lots of sense.
Also- a service we'd like in aplce (as well as the SN ones) woudl clearly work for teh benefit of teh cuntry but locally there is no business support DH can access for his growing business any more, becuase he ran it as a hobby business when working FT it's not classed as 'new' enough

He'd love to grow it and take people on, but a mentor or similar would be both helpful adn IMO an obviously useful application of state investment, especially in an area such as ours with 20% unemployment.

Move to Switzerland? Honestly if you'd rather live in the racist haven, carry on the country is better off without you. Besides for every national we lose a 'foreigner' comes along with a better work ethic to work and pay a decent share of tax.

Gosh, moving to Switzerland or Montecarlo to avoid taxes is incredibly tacky, no?

TPP, no, this wasn't aimed at you; just wanted to point out that the lazy demonisation of those earning very good money is as inappropriate as the demonisation of those on benefits, and both seem to happen quite frequently on MN.

posieparker, it isn't true to say that "no-one earning over £150,000 gets overtime! Medical consultants certainly do, for starters.

Oh, and Switzerland isn't a 'racist haven', any more than the UK is. I say that as someone who has lived there.

"Besides for every national we lose a 'foreigner' comes along with a better work ethic to work and pay a decent share of tax."

If only the person moves, that would be true, but what often happens is that the job moves with the person

It is, there are people there four generations in who aren't yet nationals.

That's racist?

yes

Well in that case China is the most racist country in the world. You can't get a passport unless you're ethnically Chinese.

That's actually not racist but never mind. Otherwise any immigration policy other than complete free movement around the world is by definition racist.

Well having spent a lot of time there, I would agree!! You can't be unaffected by Mao and his superiority of being Chinese.

'the lazy demonisation of those earning very good money is as inappropriate as the demonisation of those on benefits, and both seem to happen quite frequently on MN.

Absolutely

There are arguments for and against the 50% rate and yes the emotive aspect is one becuase when facing ahrd times as a country keeping as many people on board as possible is a valid aim

OTOH 'ooh but everyone not like me is a nasty' is not a valid argument and those who use it should be automatically dismissed.

I would wage money on the fact the those that are least likely to be voted in by Swiss communities are non whites.....

No good curry houses in Lausanne. I'll give you that.

Well given that you chose to spend so much time in China, why wouldn't someone be equally happy to spend time in Switzerland?