What would you do to raise money back after corona?

[arethereanyleftatall]

If you were in the government, what taxes/cuts would you put in place after we've all gone back to normal life?

I think I might raise VAT, or possibly have a means-tested state pension.

Promote growth and reduce waste.

Ditch HS2, the principal argument for it was an increase in capacity, the numbers WFH are only going to increase so upping capacity on routes that already exist is not required. Much of the sunk costs were spent buying land so aren't wasted. Do spend on infrastructure elsewhere.

Reduce planning requirements, which would increase the number of houses built, reduce prices and give people hones that they want to live in.

Reduce stamp duty, it's a massive drag on the economy and leaves people stuck in homes they don't want and stops people being able to move to where the work is.

Reform the business rates system which punishes high street shops and reduces capital spend and could be done in a way that captures the tech giants without scaring away investment.

As several people have said legalise and regulate cannabis, I'd also add prostitution to that. It would bring in large tax receipts, reduce criminality and the cost of policing.

Reform much of the state and get rid of many quangos, they've been used by all parties as a way of politicians avoiding making decisions. Public Health England and Health Education England cost £3bn between them, what's actually been achieved for that money. PHE hasn't had a good crisis, despite a coronavirus pandemic having been at the top of the risk register for years.

I agree with @NailsNeedDoing - certain things should be chargeable on NHS; all sports injuries, all alcohol and drug related injuries, obesity-related problems. (I speak as a fat drinker who does a risky sport.) I don't agree that childbirth or fertility-related issues should be chargeable though, even though afaik, fertility treatment often is.

Address tax evasion by large corporations. Invest in a green new deal, accelerating the switch to clean and renewable energy. Tax air travel at a high rate. Scrap HS2 and trident.

I'd legalise cannabis too - besides the taxation benefits, it would also free up police and court time, saving even more money.

I’m with @user1635482648
Austerity is a political choice. The country will bounce back more quickly without it. The ‘borrowed’ money isn’t actual notes borrowed from an actual source.
Breaking the triple lock on pensions is ridiculous. We already have some of the lowest state pensions in Europe.

There was a thread here saying people on UC get £1700 pounds a month @jbonsor I’m not sure who said that, but a quick google will give you other information. I mean, the screenshot below is literally the first thing.

@cardi from what I understood on the thread they are also giving childcare money and rent money on top of that standard allowance but you can easily find it and see how many people there were mentioning amounts North of £1,000 a month, don't take my word for it.

Get rid of pension credit. The basic state pension is what everyone who has paid in should get, but not more than that Make the poorest people pay? Yes, good principle, that.

Cancel Trident replacement
between £100bn and £200bn saved in a jiffy

Abolish Non-dom status

Align Capital gains tax with income tax (abolish carried interest)

Force all LLP partners to have UK UTR References

Immediate striking off for companies that publish false accounts (to shut down the London based money laundering.

refuse to recognise transfers to countries without open company and shareholder registers

limit charity tax relief to the basic rate

extend council tax up to band Z

any domestic property owned by a company should be taxed on business rates

oh and cancel HS2, go straight to HS3 (the one that will make a difference)

Scrap payments to members of the House of Lords. If everyone else can survive on a basic pension, then so can they. Greedy f###rs with £300+ allowances per day and doing sweet FA. Running an exclusive old people's club is a luxury this country can't afford.
Agree about cannabis. We have to smell it everywhere anyway, so the country might as well earn a few billion in tax.
Scrap government commissions/quangos that look at nonsense issues and drag it out.
Additional tax on the rich and tax evasive companies (not £50k earners as OP misunderstood). Thinking more with wealth of 5 million+
Scrap any tax payer money going to the monarchy for security/travel or any other reason. They'll start living within their means.

I would be going after the big corporations who don't pay tax. I would like to means test the winter fuel allowance but imagine it would cost a fortune to introduce that. I would also be looking at ways to take pressure off lower earners and the squeezed middle so they have money to spend on non essentials to stimulate the economy.

Having said that, I don't think this will be an easy fix as many people, myself included will be cutting right back on non essentials. Many will lose their jobs once furlough ends or will be more careful having seen all that has happened. Many I know have also reassessed their lives during all of this and will be living differently.

I would look more closely at MP expenses though, let the change come from them first.

Get companies like Uber and Amazon to pay the correct amount of tax.

Exactly what @cravingpistachiocake said.

Stop politicians voting for their own wage increases. Get them on standard cost of living. Scrap their wonderful subsidised food and drink, on their salaries they can afford to pay for their own meals. No more second homes, put a halls of residence in, self contained 1 bedroom units rather than 4 bedroomed second houses.

Go after google and amazon for tax avoidance.

We already have the sugar tax and minimum pricing on alcohol in Scotland.

I wouldn’t charge people for GP or A&E visits. It should be free at the point of use and what if someone leaves something too long because they just don’t have the money to see a doctor..,I nearly contracted sepsis so the doctor giving me a high dose anti-biotic stopped me needing medical treatment in the 000’s and being another patient in Hospital.

Stop free treatment for non british tourists, we have to get insurance and pay for treatment abroad it should be reciprocal. Stop people who cone into Britain just for treatment. My mum knows someone who lives in Greece, she needed a knee replacement so came back home to stay with her daughter so she could get it done on the nhs for free!

I definitely wouldn't cancel HS2. A thriving economy needs good transport links & the railways are in urgent need. I'd cancel Trident though.

Interest rates are very low, even negative. To be honest they could invest (infrastructure, moon shots, arts) through borrowing and hope the economy will grow enough over the next decade to make the increased debt seem manageable.

If they must tighten taxes, which would have a contractionary affect on the economy, they should do so on older people. Statistically older people are the richest in our society and this lockdown was done primarily for their benefit.

justgorgeous
Get companies like Uber and Amazon to pay the correct amount of tax.
The way to do that is by making the changes I listed.
Because they are paying the correct amount under the current law.
Changing the framework will stop them - and others you have never heard of.

luckylavender
I definitely wouldn't cancel HS2. A thriving economy needs good transport links & the railways are in urgent need.
HS2 will reduce journey times by about 20%
HS3 would reduce journey times by 80%
and will allow Norther cities to thrive and generate new jobs.
HS2 is a waste of money. HS3 is not.

Scrap HS2
Reduce the amount of childcare that is paid for under Universal Credit
Increase fuel duty

I wouldn't introduce a "fat tax" personally. People would just shop differently to avoid it.

Reduce the amount of childcare that is paid for under Universal Credit
How would that save any money?
Increase fuel duty
Car useage has dropped massively.

Lots of posters here do not seem to realise where the BIG numbers are
its not the house of lords or MPs salaries

• MOD procurement
• Capital gains tax relief for the super rich
• property money laundering

all cost more in a week than parliament does in a year

Yes to the poster who suggested scrap HS2 and Trident. I would also add reverse Brexit and close down loop holes and tax large companies properly (looking at you Amazon).

This.

This won't be popular on here but road/pavement tax for cyclists. I am not suggesting the same rate as vehicles but a contribution should be made.

@EmpressoftheMundane

Interest rates are very low, even negative. To be honest they could invest (infrastructure, moon shots, arts) through borrowing and hope the economy will grow enough over the next decade to make the increased debt seem manageable.

If they must tighten taxes, which would have a contractionary affect on the economy, they should do so on older people. Statistically older people are the richest in our society and this lockdown was done primarily for their benefit.

Some of those older people are still having to work in order to survive, well past pension age and with the loss of our income to look forward to thanks to this current mess. State pension is not enough to live on. Kill off the oldies and the much loathed 'boomers' and save a bit there eh?

Wonder how it will be when you get old...

I imagine the amount the government will save on with pensions benefits and hospital treatment from the deaths of the elderly and vulnerable will help with the excess expenditure. Taxes will rise, services will be cut, austerity will be restarted.

@WhenItIsOver how do you see cyclist tax working?