The tax system in this country is unfair and penalises hard work

[renouncefifty]

I have just finished an assignment working 20 days straight and put in nearly 300 hours. Im exhausted but have a week off to recuperate.

I get overtime for every hour over 8 hours a day I work and overtime for weekends all day. I just realised I've "earnt" £9000 this month which sounds fantastic BUT over £3000 is going in Tax and god knows how much in NI. I dont get a full personal tax allowance as im taxed on my private health insurance premium. I will be lucky to see 5.5k of that money. Oh im in scotland so we pay a penny more per pound in tax also.

I just think sometimes why bother ?

My point was that there are plenty of people with niche skills who don’t get paid loads. I was challenging the assumption that it’s all about “skill” - which I took to mean intelligence/training etc.

There are plenty of idiots out there who earn 6 figure salaries.

Would love to hear more about your friend CherryPavlova - they sound like they've got it sussed out!

41% yikes! I feel for you. But that's the price you pay for living in a welfare state where people want a government that looks after everyone. Why do you think a lot of British millionaires live abroad? My only advice is to stop working as an employee and work as a contractor, then you can deduct business expenses.

Cherry pavlova - This is the kind of thing im talking about. A couple i know put holidays through as business travel ! Offsetting flights accommodation as business expenses ! PAYE is not a good or fair system !

@believeitornot

My commment references demand as being a key factor of gaining a high salary.

@ohreally

Is Kelly the carers role important to society- yes
Does she deserve to earn a living wage and take pride In her work- of course
Should she earn the same as or be compared to a heart surgeon- HELL NO

Kelly isn’t less important than a heart surgeon but she’s subject to FAR lower entry standards and expected education levels.

I agree with you. I’ve recently set up my own business and teetering on the 11k tax allowance. I’ve worked bloody hard to do what I do. It’s a huge achievement. But if I push my business forward, I’ll literally not earn much more because a lot will go to tax man. I know this isn’t anywhere near as much as OP earns though.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow when I see folk who don’t work when they could, make excuses not to work etc.

I’m all up for helping those in need and do so frequently via food banks etc. So I’m not a complete arsehole.

If you have private health care in the UK, you still need to contribute to the NHS. if you need life saving emergency care for trauma, air ambulance resus etc you will be treated by the NHS. Private hospitals don't have the facilities to treat you.

So many jealous bitter people here. Fuck you all.

So many jealous bitter people here. Fuck you all.

Post of the century!!!

fair enough @MeteorGarden

Personally I think that the OP needs to check themselves and realise that actually they earn shit loads compared to most other people in the country.

If they think they aren’t getting enough, it isn’t taxes that’s the problem. It’s the company they work for not paying enough. Tax is what it is and you can’t really change it.

People talk about wasted taxpayers money etc not realising or appreciation that, actually, you only ever heard the bad because why report the good. Also you only ever hear about waste the public sector because the clue is in the name.... the private sector does a good job of covering up its fuck ups unless they’re newsworthy.

So even the bit you get taxed at maximum rate for you're earning at LEAST £15 an hour in your pocket after tax and ni for these extra hours and you think that's barely anything compared to not doing them? Really?

@johnny

I’m suggesting that people shouldn’t inflict ‘gratitude’ on somebody who is depressed seeing 40% of their hard earned wages disappear each month.

You are lucky to have hit a middle ground and be comfortable there. That doesn’t mean that someone who wants to push themselves to the peak career wise should be financially punished or forced to appreciate having high taxes imposed.

So many jealous bitter people here. Fuck you all

Who’s jealous?

My salary is pretty damn good thank you very much. On a part time salary I get nearly £3k a month or thereabouts.

Raraybidet ! (Love the name)

Air ambulances are funded by private charity in my experience. I already fund the NHS with my taxes. Heres the kicker because my employer gives us private medical insurance worth £4k a year - i pay tax on that 4k at 41% so im paying my share of the NHS AND 41% of 4k for a service which saves the NHS from treating me for non emergency procedures. A recent cardiac appointment for example was £1200 paid out by my insurance to a private consultant and bypass the NHS apart from my initial GP appointment.

If taxes were lower, I really think wages would gradually follow them downhill, because people would feel better off on lower wages, not push for pay rises, and not ask for so much when moving jobs. After a few years most of us would be no better off, which would be a big problem when it turned out we all needed to pay for private health insurance, private education, off roaders to navigate all the pot holes there was no money to fix, etc etc.

My income fluctuates so sometimes I pay quite a lot of tax. I like it; I feel like I'm contributing. I don't get much out of it right now but in future I likely will, and in the meantime I'm helping people who need it. No, I've never volunteered to pay extra tax, but I did spend a fair amount of my free time in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections campaigning for the extra penny in the pound to fund our public services.

What's wrong with paying some tax Quick - it's great that you have built up a business that produces a nett profit "teetering" on the edge of paying a small amount to the tax people. You must already be paying a bit of NI as the thresholds are lower.

I don't begrudge paying some tax at all - public services do need paying for and whilst there are a small minority of Very High Earners that dodge it - that doesn't mean we all should.

Presumably if the OP takes home £3k a month typically she’s not used to have much of her income taxed at 40%.

OP - there are things you can do to ensure you don’t hit 40% tax assuming you are not going to do this overtime every month e.g. make additional pension contributions, take advantage of any salary sacrifice schemes your employer offers for benefits that are tax free (e.g. childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme), take advantage if your employer offers a tax free share buying scheme etc, claim back on charitable giving via your tax return if you are a higher rate tax payer.

On top of this the most obvious thing is don’t do any overtime if you feel it’s not worth it for your work life balance. That way you’ll barely be paying anything but basic rate.

I am on a similar salary / hours as you OP, but in business as usual mode. I have to have a drink myself to sleep most days, feeling very much as an overtired toddler - exhausted, but oddly hyperactive and cranky.
I am quitting after Christmas. No money in the world will buy me health (even with private insurance), time with my children or all the wonderful things I am missing daily.

For me, the wake up call was when my marginal tax rate exceeded 50%, and I effectively started working more for the benefit of the exchequer than myself. Thanks but no thanks.

I hope people realise that actually lower earners pay proportionately more in tax because of indirect tax (VAT, fuel duty etc) and things like council taxes.
So the high earners should quit with the whining about “their” hard earned taxes etc

Meteor I just think if all you can feel is bitterness when you still have 5.5k a month left over to play with then you need a shift in priorities. I hope my salary continues to increase as I progress, and yes, that’ll come with higher taxes. But I’ll still come away with more money so I don’t really understand what there is for me to be pissed off about. Taxes could be put to better use in some areas but I agree morally and theoretically that the richest should give the most back to society. I struggle to understand why anyone would think that’s wrong

"From each according to his talents, to each according to his needs."

• Karl Marx

You do realise that the tax rates aren't punishment? You've had, and fully used, the same tax bands that people on lower incomes are using, and just because they are on lower incomes it doesn't mean they aren't working a lot of hours or working hard or far along in their career. There are many careers that even being good at your job and far along your career path aren't going to push you into the 40% bracket.

renounce you don't pay 41% of your Employer's PMI - it becomes part of the total of your Gross Earnings for Tax. The Income Tax you pay goes towards paying for your ability to access a publicly-funded GP - and many other services that the General Public (which you are) can access.

The tax systemin this country punishes tbe poorest and lowest earners much harder, with VAT taking a big chunk of their take home money. Presumably, it was your choice to do this project. £5.5k in one month is Monopoly money to many people. Don't do it again if you're so bothered by it.