To feel that having nearly half of your salary taken away is just not right?

[WinnieTheWho]

I don't earn enough to pay tax & NI but my DH has a pretty good job & salary for which he works BLOODY hard. I was horrified to work out after last pay day that for EVERY £1 he earned, he only kept 60 pence. This is due to a combination of paying very high income tax and NI, as well losing all of his personal allowance because he might get a bonus at the end of the year! It just seems that if you work hard to get paid well and you are a PAYE taxpayer, the Government & HMRC will just shaft you from all angles. It just makes me wonder why we bother? So... AM I BEING UNREASONABLE?

''Thanks Warren.
I wondered how long it would be before people who benefit from my DH's taxes but begrudge him earning the salary to warrant paying them would get on board.''

So basically you were looking for an online argument. Where did Warren say anything about begrudging him earning this salary. Do you know Warren's circumstances? How do you that they aren't earning as much or more than your husband?

FWIW I am happy to pay taxes. I am happy that I contribute for the NHS, the emergency services etc. There are things that I don't particularly like paying my taxes for but that's what voting is for and no political party can please everyone. Basically it's tough luck that you don't want your husband to pay 40% tax. There are people who are far worse off than you and you should think yourself bloody lucky. You are being completely unreasonable.

gettingalife - yup, that's pretty much my take on it. I don't particularly like the system nor do I think it's fair and I do think it is widely used and abused BUT I just shrug my shoulders and carry on because living here is my choice and one I'm 100% happy with!

YANBU. I think there's a proposal for a 30% tax rate for all. (tax allowance of 10,500 iirc)

YABU my husband is also higher rate tax payer ... and we're in Sweden so the tax rate is enough to make your ears bleed. The tax he pays goes towards supporting people who are in the same situation I used to be in and building a better society for all of us. Don't begrudge a penny of it.

Yeah, HeidiHole, you might as well sit on the dole, revelling in your £70 a week.

Why bother working to earn £500 a week when you can just eat fucking pot noodles and never leave your house?

Wake up.

ALI don't think people are complaining about paying tax in general - just paying such a big proportion of what they earn.

To answer your question: with lower unemployment.

sadly, yellowraincoat, plenty of peopel DO sit on their arses choosing not to work because they are so unskilled that they ARE better off on the dole, especially with several kids.

But that is the rotten and warped section mentioned earlier.

I think most peopel are being disingenous if they are saying they are perfectly happy to pay almost half in tax for Mr and Mrs Kyle to have 8 kids and never do a day's work.

Tinkerbell - £3700 out of £6100 is £39.3%

OP, I was of the same opinion as you until I moved to the US for a couple of years and saw the alternative. Now I very happily pay my high tax.

Lots of people work bloody hard. IME, how hard your job is, does not reflect how well you are paid.

Personally, I'm just glad I'm not one of the billions of people who have to live on less than a quid a day.

Pishspice, the number of people who are on the dole voluntarily with 8 kids is so low that it's utterly pointless to bring it up.

mockingjay - and yes again, I wholeheartedly agree.

Do I think our system is creaking and abused? Yes.
Does it need a major overhaul? Yes.
Could I ever contemplate living in a society without it? Never.

Phishspice I pay 40% tax, I'm not fortunate enough (yet) to pay 50% tax.

You want sympathy for your DH paying tax when he earned 6100 a month? £73k a year?

Yes. I feel so sorry for him I am in tears here

Does your dh begrudge YOU doing a job which doesn't even earn enough to pay tax, while he works his ass off op?

Why isn't he posting on here if he's not happy? I have limited sympathy for wives who want to be kept in a certain style without having the bollocks to do the hard work themselves !

What does it matter what he earns? Do you think it's fair to take 40% of someone's salary?

8tinkerbel* that's below the belt and completely irrelevant and offensive to SAHM and housewives.

tinker, nice dig at SAHMs there. Bringing up kids is hard work too you know.

X post pish :)

Op.... You need a bit of educating, stick around lovey!!

Yes Moaning, but they didn't allocate jobs by pulling them out of a hat, did they? To a certain extent, we all made choices that determined our salary. disclaimer I reliase there are exceptions to this, but that is the GENERAL trend.

I don't resent paying taxes but what does annoy me is that there are plenty of people earning 3,4, 5, 10x what DH earns but because they are either self-employed or can pay clever accountants, the proportion of their salary that goes to paying tax is much lower for than someone on PAYE. It just seems as though they are sitting ducks for high tax & NI

What difference does it make how much tax you pay if you have enough to live on (luxuries are not a right)? Most people who work put in a lot of effort, he doesn't necessarily work harder just because he earns more.

Yeah that was a pretty stupid post HeidiHole.