To want everyone's earnings and tax records to be public information

[Itsgonnabeacoldone]

I think it would be very modern and progressive if the UK government changed the law to make people's income and tax public information. Would probably raise a few billions more and make people less likely to do those dodgy tax avoidance schemes.

Salary transparency reduces sexism (eg the BBC)
Salary transparency reduces racism
Salary transparency reduces homophobia
Salary transparency reduces ageism

All of the above, plus it would make it easier to see whose reported income does not appear to be commensurate with their lifestyle, like my tax-dodging BIL and a few others I know. If benefits were made public, it would be a deterrent to those (very few, imo)who exaggerate medical conditions to maximise benefit entitlement. It would make it easier for single parents to see if their existing maintenance arrangements should be revised to reflect the absent parent's increased income.

I don't know why we're so secretive about money in this country. I wouldn't mind the nation knowing I earn a pittance, and I suspect that it's those with more money that are inclined to want it kept private.

I pay the right amount of income tax and NI for the amount that I earn, as set by HMRC.

That is all you or anyone else needs to know OP

YABEU

13 MILLION files were leaked in the paradise papers, and about 6 people were named and shamed because of it...
Hmmm, we obviously read different news sources.
Paradise Papers has dropped off the news headlines but it is still being cross referenced with the other big leaks and hundreds and hundreds of people are facing tax investigations from it.

Newspapers are even more under resourced than you think HMRC are...
And 'armchair auditors' are a nightmare, but armchair investigative reporters are the answer to our budget deficits?
That is not what I said.
The teams who are poring over the papers and helping sort stuff for tax authorities around the world are starting to spread daylight into some of the more offensive schemes in use.

Spreadsheet Phil missed a trick yesterday on unravelling some of Gideon's more stupid changes , but the pressure is building.

I've got a pretty good idea what the next big leak will be
99.9% of the population would benefit if Apple paid even 10% tax on the $525,000,000,000.00 that they have sitting offshore
and the fact that Bono is too tight to even pay RoI's 10% tax rate shows how hypocritical the super rich are.

Daylight is the best disinfectant.
Tax transparency will encourage moves towards progressive taxation.
More equal countries are less likely to slip down the route of populism.

No way do I want my salary widely known. If someone else doesn't perform as well or hasn't negotiated as effectively, I don't want them knowing what I get paid to use as a bargaining tool as ultimately I will lose out and everyone will be paid the same rather than high performers more and low performers less.

Average salaries across genders is now the law isn't it? That I agree with, but individuals, how ridiculous.

Daylight is the best disinfectant.
Tax transparency will encourage moves towards progressive taxation.
More equal countries are less likely to slip down the route of populism.

That's just perfect, I may borrow that in the future!

adora
I pay the right amount of income tax and NI for the amount that I earn, as set by HMRC.
How would you feel if you found out that people who you thought were your equals at work were paid more?
Or that they were in fact working through a service company and taking home twice as much as you ?
Would you still be happy that your boss keeps salaries secret?

Good point Rory

What say you OP to this

Agree, good point rory.

In councils you have to publish details of which officers earning over £50k and how much they earn.

That's a very good point Rory, a great benefit of this would be management would have to justify the wages of people and make people more likely to discuss jncreases. Many don't like talking about it so the ones that are better negotiatiors get the rises even if they aren't performing the best.

Transparency helps equality and accountability.

If someone else doesn't perform as well or hasn't negotiated as effectively, I don't want them knowing what I get paid to use as a bargaining tool as ultimately I will lose out and everyone will be paid the same rather than high performers more and low performers less.

Ah yes, effective negotiation
a splendid cover for sexism / racism / homophobia / the old boy network.
Employers get to keep salary grades secret as everybody is assessed on their merits
except that white guys are far better at taking the credit for the work of others than any other demographic.

There is no need for everybody to be paid the same
but if the differences are transparent then everybody can see who the boss thinks is worth more
Why are you so afraid of that ?

Dear MNHQ, can I take a screen shot of this thread as this exact discussion is one that I have in the course of my work most weeks and having to answer the points made by a gang of strangers is great CPD

No thank you. I don't want to have to explain to anyone how I spend my earnings.

Yes, happy to have that info published as long as all benefits received are also published and also costed use of NHS and schools etc. Is that the sort of thing you had in mind?

lemons
Yes, happy to have that info published as long as all benefits received are also published and also costed use of NHS and schools etc. Is that the sort of thing you had in mind?

Why should the fact that somebody has three primary age children, one of whom is receiving cancer treatment be recorded with the parents' tax returns ?

How would you justify in light of the incoming GDPR

Individuals have rights to their data
They have to consent
A right to be forgotten
Data must not be excessive
Kept for a relevant purpose

I could go on

There is no purpose to you having my salary data and any organisation making it possible for you could be fined 4% of its annual turnover

The real problem is people not correctly declaring their income. Publishing returns won't solve that, it will just be publishing bad data. Is there any evidence that tax evasion / avoidance is lower in countries where there is full disclosure of returns?

And of course while some will look at it as a great way to identify the rich etc, you should also be worried about people looking at those who don't contribute to the pot. No stigma there at all.

Is there any evidence that tax evasion / avoidance is lower in countries where there is full disclosure of returns?
Yes.
The 'tax gap' in countries with public returns is an order of magnitude smaller than in the UK as per the Economist magazine

How would you justify in light of the incoming GDPR
GDPR will apply to Norway and Finland as both are in the EAA
ask them?

you should also be worried about people looking at those who don't contribute to the pot
43% of UK adults do not pay Income tax
therefore 43% of UK adults would not have a return published.
How is that a stigma?

Numbers alone really mean nothing, some people work 3/4 time have different benefit packages extra vacation time etc.
What many are interested in is taxation reform (simplified flat tax).

Considering it is the very wealthy who are tax dodging, I think it'd be fair to say those who are in six figure salaries (?) should have it in public?

You are being silly and naiive. making earnings public would not stop tax evasion just like marriage doesn't stop adultery or divorce.

Why does Finnish law have to do with UK law?

@Cutekinn the vast majority of people I know what avoid tax are not even moderately wealthy. Althoygh if you think £100k is even close to wealthy then I suppose some of them are

The 57% might think differently when they know who they are....

Re the tax gap, I'd be fascinated to see the evidence you have to support your statement.

Note also that the UK (and most countries) calculation of the tax gap includes corporation and other taxes and therefore the headline figures would not be the data to support your contention. The data I can find from a couple of google searches shows Sweden's at 10% and UK's at 6.5%. My googling shows it is hard to find the data at all, but you had it right at your fingertips. I'm sure you wouldn't make it up?