To think all keyworkers should have their tax stopped for the next two years

[marysuzairn]

All of those that worked throughout covid need to be rewarded. Why not just stop all tax for every nurse, care worker, teacher (and assistant), gas engineer, pharmacist etc. They kept the country going and weren't just at home on 80% pay (and actually better off with less outgoing). Isn't it time to now reward them appropriately?

Where do you stop? And who then pays their salaries and to make up the tax?

And I am a teacher, by the way!

I'm a key worker. I worked from home. Yes it was a nightmare with a toddler and I have struggled a lot but I don't think I would feel right benefitting from it financially in the way you're suggesting. I didn't really do anything...

You are talking as though those who were furloughed had a choice.. You do know that they didn't?

No, they should not have their tax stopped. Silly idea. This heroes thing is getting out of hand.

I disagree and I'm a HCP. Parking charges are another matter though.

How do we claw back the money spend on furlough etc? Raise the taxes for everyone else?

The key worker definition was pretty broad, so that is a heck of a lot of tax receipts lost. Not happening, I'm afraid. Also a teacher...and married to another key worker. We really need a new kitchen, too.

I'm not a key worker but continued to work throughout I haven't been furloughed. I don't think that would be fair

Also a key worker and grateful to have a job I love. Will pay my tax as usual and moan about it as usual but I don’t expect a free ride.

How would you propose paying for that?

If Govn has less taxes coming in, there are less public services I.e. the roles these people work in typically.

Terrible idea

I’ve never stopped going into the office. I think it’s a ridiculous idea.

I (not a key worker) worked throughout the lockdown despite being a lone parents to 2 DC incl one with complex special needs and I was refused a school place for her and my employer refused furlough for childcare reasons.

Do I deserve a tax cut too?

I’m technically a keyworker, I worked from home. If we’re not paying taxes where will the shortfall of money come from to pay for vital services?

The keyworker list was massive.

My DH would qualify and he currently pays 40% tax, worked from home the whole of lockdown, did not brave any covid hotbeds etc. It would be grossly unfair for him to get a tax holiday. He would agree.

I know doctors who earn circa £200k p/a. Even a thousand or so of those people not paying tax would leave us poorer at a time when the economy is already in trouble.

What really needs to happen is that keyworkers who are currently paid less should get a pay rise. Shop workers, cleaners, nurses, childcare workers etc, don't get paid enough for what they do imo.

I'd rather be rewarded with properly funded social care and NHS services, lots of well funded community resources and a big ol pot of cash for recruitment and retention in the caring professions.

A few extra quid in my back pocket every month won't make much difference to my quality of life when every day at work is a living nightmare and I'm having anxiety induced panic attacks for the first time in my life due to the sheer overwhelming impossibleness of my job right now.

You realise that some of us have been working from home throughout this? I’m considered a key worker too.

Not everyone was furloughed, nor were they furloughed by choice. You’re acting like everyone that wasn’t working in a hospital or care home had a perfect time. Some might have saved money, others have been crippled by their reduction in income. I have seen people I know in professional fields start working in retail, as taxi/delivery drivers, in COVID test centres etc just to survive

Don’t be so ridiculous and they are rewarded - they get paid a wage / salary for doing their job . I will also point out that not everybody has been sat at home doing nothing , there are lots of people who are not classed as key workers who have worked throughout , not just sat at home getting paid for doing nothing .

I agree that staff in these sectors need a pay rise, rather than your “claps”

My husband is technically a key worker- just because he works for a council (we have refused to accept any of the ‘benefits’ of this). My friend is in HR for an infrastructure company- also a key worker apparently.

I think I you’d be surprised how many people were eligible!

Lol I was furloughed in 80% how was I better off? My food bill went up a lot and fuel to get to shops instead of home delivery because no slots were ever available. I was also given notice by my landlord and guess what? Rents had gone up to the extreme in my naice countryside town with half of London trying to get in it, all whilst wondering if I'd pass a rent contract requirement on 80% furlough.

I was also told my company might not exist and I couldn't find another job at all. I spent all of my furlough looking!!
The idiocy on mn knows no bounds sometimes.

Ridiculous idea. Those people who 'sat at home on 80% pay' didn't have a choice you know?

All this essential workers is getting out of hand now. We are reaching a point where all work is essential if we actually want to have an economy to go back to.

People working throughout have done a great job but I don't think those who haven't done anything wrong and just happened to work in a different area should be penalised.

They kept the country going and weren't just at home on 80% pay (and actually better off with less outgoing)

How the fuck can you say that people are better off? I wouldn't have been better off at all because I already either work from home or work down the road at a small office. I wouldn't have saved anything by being on furlough, I would have lost 20% of my income through no fault of my own.

All this 'heroes' stuff is really starting to bug me now.

I’m not a keyworker. I worked from home throughout whilst home educating my kids and looking after a toddler. Those of us who weren’t furloughed worked, keyworker or otherwise. It was difficult, but we got to keep our jobs. We paid our taxes during that time and kept the economy from disappearing altogether. We all need to continue to work and pay our taxes so as to pay for the furlough and all the other spending that has had to happen as a result of this disaster.

Most Furloughed people weren’t “lucky” to be furloughed and the fact that some people may have benefitted from the pandemic those people were few and far between. Its not been “unfair” to those who continued working and being paid, we would have done that even if there hadn’t been a pandemic.

Hahahahahahahahaha get a grip

They kept the country going and weren't just at home on 80% pay (and actually better off with less outgoing).

I didn't have less outgoings being furloughed as I can walk to work but had to spend more on electricity/gas etc at home. I had to use savings because I was barely making it on full wage and now you're suggesting I should pay more tax.

What about people who are temporarily employed by supermarkets? What about furloughed people who took on other paid work? Do you include people who worked from home?

So doctors and consultants too

I'm a barrister, we were considered front line workers in Ireland, not sure about UK.

You really happy for traditionally well remunerated professions to not contribute to the tax bill while small businesses and employees of companies that are struggling to survive keep on stumping up?

You're conflating "key worker" with "not furloughed", for one. I was working all the way through and I'm not a key worker.

Secondly, we need all the tax revenue we can get. Services have been cut to the bone and unemployment is skyrocketing. Personally I'd be in favour of a land value tax or increasing inheritance tax etc etc rather than increases in income tax, but either way, we cannot afford to be doing this. You can't just stop someone's taxes as a thank-you for them doing their job!