Quite a lot of better off people would be happy to pay more tax?

[Echobelly]

Provided it was channeled towards things like NHS, social care, education.

It seems weirdly outdated to me that mainstream political parties find raising taxes on the wealthy anathema. We've been living in such a low-tax society for so long, but households like mine (I'd say it's a 6-figure annual income between us) could easily afford to pay more in tax and still enjoy our lives.

But instead parties are obsessed with recouping money by removing benefits for the poorest people, which is stupid as the difficulties resulting from plunging people into greater poverty, as well as being cruel, will ultimately cost more money than it saves.

Take that money off people like me in taxes! We won't become homeless or sick or suffer mental distress for the sake of a bit more tax. Year after year I see budgets that will apparently save people like me £500 a year, as if this is supposed to be an incentive to vote for the Tories but tbh, I won't even notice being better off by £500 a year. Give that saving to someone for whom it'll make an impact!

Same, this last tax year as a couple we paid over £86,000 in tax. We both have public service jobs so are putting doubly in through service and monetary imput. We are taxed at nearly 50%

I think this is enough already! There has to be an incentive to work and if you only get 50p or less in the pound there comes a point when you think, 'I won't bother then'.
true, we wouldn't miss £500 in extra tax but when does it stop?
A flat rate of tax that everyone pays with no loopholes at all would seem fairer.

Not at all - you can donate as much as you want; I already feel really resentful to be working to support strangers without us all paying the same insurance premiums.

Quite the opposite - the ideal imo is that everyone pay their fair share (not a percentage of salary, an absolute amount every year) - and this means the lower paid need to pay substantially more tax and stop others having to pay for them in life.

There are far too many schemes to try and get around the basics of earning money and paying tax, such as in work benefits and winter heating allowances - just scrap them all, and force both low wages up and taxation of the lower income up.

It’s been proved that taxing the wealthy more results in less taxes, as they find ways to not pay it

Good for you being able to afford it, the great majority of us won’t

Yes. Household income over 200k and would happily pay more tax. Labour voting socialist here but this country is full of aspirational Tories!

When you look are European countries that pay more tax people are happier as have good education, adults can change careers, family life is more supportive, health system & benefits are better and less homelessness do less crime. I've been signed of work and the money that been paid out to me in benefit could of paid for my health problems if I didn't need to live off it. Yet is just put in NHS waiting ques, this has a massive impact on going back to work as keeping me off longer. Last wage was 40k a year lived of savings till went on benefits. I get why high tax payers don't want to just through their money at the system as it is now but would like it to go to areas of need in a way is can equally help people life's. Charity is not the full answer just as food banks aren't.

We already pay an absolute tonne of tax

@Ifailed

Currently around the top 10% of earners pay 60% of all income tax, just how much more do you expect them to pay?

Exactly

You're allowed to pay as much additional tax as you like already. You don't need the government to compel you first. For all the supposed enthusiasm for paying more tax only around 10 people a year do. It's all one off donations rather than regular payments too.

@LovelyMoans

Yes. Household income over 200k and would happily pay more tax. Labour voting socialist here but this country is full of aspirational Tories!

So donate some to charity.

@JessieLongleg

When you look are European countries that pay more tax people are happier as have good education, adults can change careers, family life is more supportive, health system & benefits are better and less homelessness do less crime. I've been signed of work and the money that been paid out to me in benefit could of paid for my health problems if I didn't need to live off it. Yet is just put in NHS waiting ques, this has a massive impact on going back to work as keeping me off longer. Last wage was 40k a year lived of savings till went on benefits. I get why high tax payers don't want to just through their money at the system as it is now but would like it to go to areas of need in a way is can equally help people life's. Charity is not the full answer just as food banks aren't.

That's OK if spending more on public services actually results in better public services. Unfortunately, in the UK, a huge amount of public money is wasted on fraud, inefficiency, incompetence, etc. Blair/Brown trebled spending on the NHS but it wasn't 3 times better as a result, in fact, we're worse off due to the ruinous PFI contracts they signed that last for decades. Most people want to see real improvements in services, so the politicians would have to have a proper plan for people to see services improve as a result of higher taxes, to start to build trust in politicians/public sector again.

@flippertyop

CorrBlimeyGG Currently around the top 10% of earners pay 60% of all income tax, just how much more do you expect them to pay?

All this tells us is that there is vast inequality in the UK. That top 10% will still have far more disposable income than those earning less.
The top earners SHOULD have more disposable income than lower earners, otherwise there's no point in working longer/harder, studying, taking exams, doing training/courses, risking starting a business etc.

Absolutely - do people really think that you shouldn't get paid more for doing a job that needs qualifications, has high stress levels, long commutes etc. why fucking bother if there is no reward

I'm not a higher rate tax payer but I agree with this. The jobs paying big money will inevitably be long hours and high amounts of stress. Why shouldn't they have more disposable income? I think with things like the NHS, everyone should have to pay health insurance, varied depending on your earnings. Much like the German healthcare system.

I personally don't have a problem paying more tax if things improve. The current system & the NI increases I'm not happy about as it won't change anything.

Also there is such inequality these days that it's not right to target income tax.

You can pay more tax if you want. If you trust the government, any government, to spend it wisely then go for it.

How do you define better off?

These threads always turn into 'I deserve to be paid huge amounts, because I work long hours and have lots of stress.' Even though there are many jobs where people work long hours and have lots of stress, and earn a fraction of that.

I’d be really happy to pay more tax on the rental I own. I think it is disgraceful that 2nd properties should be profitable. No party seems keen to have a register of landlords either.
Tax on my PAYE salary is fair and I wouldn’t been keen to pay more.
I generally resent tax being spent on nonsense but schools I would pay more for.
The NHS needs a restructure as it has too many layers of management (relative to some of continental Europe) so I wouldn’t want to pay more tax for that yet.

No we pay too much already !

@rookiemere

I pay more tax already as I live in Scotland. Naively when it was first introduced I was happy to do so. I can see no discernible difference between education, NHS or anything really as a result of this extra funding. Lots of SNP propaganda though. In theory extra tax is an appealing idea. In reality it puts people off earning more and generally hits the squeezed middle class rather than the genuinely rich.

But don’t you have universal free prescriptions and free university (no tuition fees)? Surely that’s a direct benefit in terms of health and education? I’ve just got my hrt patches, oestrogen pessaries and husbands blood pressure meds and it’s cost the best part of £30.

I have never understood why the hospitals don’t have a collection box in A&E for people to donate. I’d happily Chuck money in. They do such an amazing job.

Not sure what department these civil servants work in ordering more expensive train tickets. The system we use to book tickets flags up immediately if you don’t chose the cheapest option and you have to justify why you didn’t pick it. And there are only very limited reasons that are acceptable.

@Ifailed

Currently around the top 10% of earners pay 60% of all income tax, just how much more do you expect them to pay?

It's not just income tax.

Although it's inevitable we will be all
paying more tax on the future as the new h&s levy isn't enough.

Umm no!!!

I pay enough fucking tax thank you and the amount I pay is pissed up the wall by the government so no thanks!

I pay tax to live in a house
I pay tax on fuel
I pay some sort of tax on just about everything I do

I’m sick to bloody death of being taxed