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?

Yes I think that's ridiculously unreasonable and unnecessary!

I think there should be some acknowledgement. Much easier& safer for people who were able to stay at home.
Didn't take long for the tide to turn as predicted.

What about care homes workers/cleaners/porters/school caretakers and those learning support assistants who went into school to help with keyworker children. They were at high risk and carried on but in lower paid jobs and no payrise

I was furloughed.
I wasn't better off because I don't have a lot of work expenses.
I volunteered for a local charity 4 days a week while on furlough - that gave me 'key worker' status for leaving my home more often, I could have used public transport and was allowed into shops in key workers hour and allowed to buy more than the regulated amounts because I was buying for a charity.
Where do I stand in your little scheme?

I'd rather we paid essential workers properly and they were treated with respect by the general public all the time, not just because of covid.

The tax paid by many of these key workers is comparatively low, so you would create a complete imbalance. What about the thousands who through no fault of their own are facing unemployment?
The public sector workers have been given a substantial pay rise which the country can’t afford, but no one begrudges. In contrast other key workers have to our knowledge received nothing. How about the carers etc the council’s are on their knees so unlikely to get any real recognition.
As a country we face years of economic crises so are you suggesting that the few remaining workers pay the whole bill?
Yes the key workers have kept the country going but they were doing their job, whilst thousands of others have given their time for no financial reward to help others.

Someone mentioned resentment building against keyworkers. I think it probably began when things moved from the strictest lockdown, when really those who were absolutely key were going out to work and doing it without adequate PPE or covid planning, to a less strict lockdown where more people were going out to work. Also, when people who are working from home or not customer facing began referring to themselves as keyworkers (yes yes, I know according to the gov list for accessing childcare they were!)

The idea that everyone who is a defined as a keyworker according to the government list is some sort of hero and deserves special treatment is ridiculous.
Many have not had things any harder than the rest of us trying to work at home with kids. Many of them have had it easier as they’ve been working at home but able to access childcare

People talk about teachers but some have been working at home and only attending school on a rota. Some have been working less hours than normal

People talk about police officers. Not all officers are out on the streets dealing with people - some are office based.

Do we just give recognition and praise to everyone based strictly on their job title, regardless of the circumstances or actually how hard they have worked?!

Not all keyworkers are equally key and (thankfully) not all keyworkers have been putting themselves at risk
I am very grateful to those who have. Just quite bored of those who have not jumping on the bandwagon

And thousands were paid to do nothing. Not all public sector workers have been given a pay rise.
It's going to be difficult to be fair, I do believe care workers/frontline covid nhs need to be financially rewarded. Their work was relentless.

*i should really have said ‘some’ rather than ‘many’

Agree re jumping on the bandwagon - people WFH were not putting themselves at risk... and some people didn't need to work FT.

I am a keyworker but don’t earn enough to pay tax - so how does that work?

I don’t agree btw.

A good friend of mine works at Goldman Sachs and earns a 7 figure salary. He was been designated a key worker. His children went to their (£20k per year private) school during the whole of lockdown.

I’m thinking that your idea is not well thought through and I’m glad you are not the chancellor.

I work for an investment bank, salary creeping into 40% tax bracket with bonus.

Classed as a key worker due to having a key financial services role (think, arranging funding for major COVID specific projects) but in reality was able to easily transition to working from home with my work giving us a £1000 budget to buy home office equipment and no real stresses apart from being busier and having tighter deadlines than usual.

Do you think I should not pay any tax for 2 years?!

I actually hope my taxes will go up as I’d like to think my well paying, secure job is able to contribute more to the relief efforts. I am very happy for the government to take a few more pence for every pound if they put it to good use supporting my family members who have lost jobs and huge amounts of income during this time. They are hospitality workers so not considered key but have been 1000x more adversely impacted than me.

My point is, where do you draw the line? Most key workers actually have the most secure jobs due to higher Covid demands /civil service roles so if they all stop paying taxes and huge amounts of non key workers get made redundant, who is going to provide the funds to support them?

@Pollypocket89

You don’t pay tax on your furlough pay as the money wasn’t your earnings to start with. The govt gave you the money then took some back as tax, so you got given the same amount you would normally take home. But you didn’t pay tax, the government just passed it from one place to another. YOU pay tax when the money was yours from your employer in the first place, and you then pay some to the govt. That’s how I see it anyway, or am I missing something major?

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Well actually you are as yes I do pay tax on my furlough pay, same as I always have so I'm absolutely not just coming out with what I'd have anyway

Thanks for your response but you’re not really clear about what you’re saying I’ve missed. You’ve just repeated the argument that I’ve said I don’t think is correct. You can’t ‘take the credit’ for want of a better term for paying tax on money which is effectively a government grant to start with.

Agree you won’t come out with the same amount as previously if your employer isn’t topping up the 80% payment but that’s a separate issue. I just don’t agree with people jumping up and down about how they pay tax on their furlough payments as if they’re making a net contribution to the pot rather than taking from it.

As I said before I’m not anti furlough AT ALL, I think it was a necessary scheme and many people are on it who don’t want to be. I just don’t agree with this particular argument.

I just don’t agree with people jumping up and down about how they pay tax on their furlough payments as if they’re making a net contribution to the pot rather than taking from it

The same could apply to those paying tax and receiving child tax credits.

What's the distinction between jumping up and down about paying tax on their furlough wages and pointing it out as a fact?

Well although the OP was extremely stupid....

I’m glad to see the majority of responses are in agreement with each other.

Well done @marysuzairn you did the impossible and united MN with your own stupidity.

PS: We all did our bit 👏

I'm a nurse and don't want taxes stopped. We need to get out of this financial crisis! I'd be happy with no parking charges

I think this is one of the most stupid ideas anyone has come up with on here.

Hilarious! My friend is a key worker. She's also the director/main shareholder of her business and has recently taken a 500k dividend. Pretty sure our services need the tax on that more than she does.

Who’ll make up the massive shortfall? Keyworker definition is too wide, all sorts of jobs fall under it that I would consider anywhere near essential to the running of everything. My friend is a wealth manager - and also a ‘key worker’ apparently as can do mortgages. I disagree that managing money for wealthy people is essential.

I disagree that managing money for wealthy people is essential.

I don’t know, if it ensures their tax is paid on time, you might think again.

The whole key/essential worker thing really is such a nonsense.

Pressed send too soon.

The system is so interdependent. We wouldn’t have any money for the NHS if so called ‘non-essential’, revenue producing, private sector jobs didn’t exist. Everyone needs each other.

Sure no problem.

All you non key workers though, your tax is being tripled to make up for the loss. You guys OK with that?

No, thought not. Stupid idea, sorry.

@GilderoyLockdown

What's the distinction between jumping up and down about paying tax on their furlough wages and pointing it out as a fact?

Pointing it out as a fact is saying that yes tax is officially deducted from payments, same as from a salary, but ultimately the govt granted you the money in the first place so you didn’t personally ‘pay the tax’.

Jumping up and down is saying ‘I’m a tax payer! I’m still contributing to the pot even though I’m on furlough! I STILL PAY TAX!!’ While totally overlooking the fact that the only reason there is any money to take tax on is because the government gave it to you in the first place before taking some back.

I’m really not bashing people on furlough, I just really don’t get why some people are acting like they’re paying tax out of their own pockets when on furlough, because they’re not. It’s like if someone gave you a whole cake, you cut them a slice and then went on about how you fed that person. The net result is that you’ve been given slightly less by the govt but you really can’t act like you’re a economical contributor while on furlough. That’s not anyone’s fault and they shouldn’t have to contribute to the national pot if they can’t work, but what’s wrong with accepting that. Is it a pride thing I wonder?

but ultimately the govt granted you the money in the first place so you didn’t personally ‘pay the tax’.

That’s the same as public sector salaries though, no?