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It seems weirdly outdated to me that mainstream political parties find raising taxes on the wealthy anathema.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!

I'm reasonably happy to pay more tax. As a family we could afford to pay a little bit more and still have a nice lifestyle, but our contribution is but a drop in the ocean. In an ideal world I'd rather see the mega rich, tax dodging individuals/companies stepping up - that's what would make a real material difference both in terms of more money going into the coffers and also in order to make some inwards on addressing the rich/poor imbalance of society.

Whilst I agree with this in principle, I think more effort should be put into making sure big corporations pay their taxes. Surely far more tax could be accrued from them then an increase for the the top 10% of earners (for example)...

I used to feel and think like that. For years I've been a higher tax payer- and corporation tax omg I pay hundreds of thousands a year on that. I've voted Labour all my life.

Now, having seen how fucking selfish and stupid people are, courtesy of Brexit, Covid, the last Tory election, the support for the current bunch of fuckwits in power, well, I no longer give so much of a shit. I support some specific charities to a considerable sum, but I no longer see the virtue in being a small minority who tries to support the general good. Fuck em

Also, the NHS doesn't need more funding. It's an absolute black hole. What it needs a complete structural overhaul from the inside out.

I don’t trust public bodies to spent money wisely, efficiently or effectively hence I am in no rush to pay more tax for it to be pissed away by public sector inadequacy. Massive reform is required but no political party or government can provide this. If there was, I would vote for them and I wouldn’t mind paying more tax, but it is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. NOBODY has the ability to deliver this. It’s too rotten and unrecoverable (bright thought for the day…you’re welcome!)

Thing is those of us who aren't in a high tax bracket also have to pay mortgages and save for retirement. We just have to do it with a lot less. We earn 80000 between us, which is a huge amount compared to many. All I would like is to be able to go on a family holiday once a year and to have some money in reserve to pay for emergencies. I once thought we'd be able to help the kids go to uni, but the way prices are rising, that's not going to happen. We are still paying childcare and both have long commutes, which leaves us v little left over.

If we earned double that, between us, we'd be laughing and definitely up for paying more tax.

We're also examples of how hard work and qualifications doesn't equal massive wages.

As this thread shows! People are fucking selfish and I've stopped trying not to be.

Yes, we're happy to pay more.

I've never understood the reluctance to increase taxes on the rich. Governments of any party never have any qualms whatsoever in making the poor pay, but the rich (the ones who are that rich where a higher tax wouldn't affect them in the slightest) are left alone. It's an unjust world.

There is the issue that the wealthy paying more tax would be a nationwide increase in taxation on higher earners.

Due to postcode lottery inequities in health services available/quality thereof round the country, some would see the benefit of their additional taxes increasing government department budget and some wouldn't.

The government needs to level everyone's access to, and local quality of, public services up to a national standard before asking ALL high earners to pay more tax.

I think before considering raising taxes for moderately wealthy people, it would be worth governments properly taxing the supper rich, rather than allowing the loopholes that enable the likes of Amazon and Starbucks to pay minimal tax.

The trouble with the super rich is you need global action.

I don't see why we can't have much higher CGTs & levies on multiple properties.

Nobody likes paying tax.

However, the better-off can afford it far more easily than those on minimum wage.

[quote Echobelly]@lfailed - i think the top 10% of people, which includes us, generally pay a fairly small % of our earnings into tax nonetheless.[/quote]
so pay some more...either in charitable donations or directly to the treasury...its easy

@Ciaram55

I've never understood the reluctance to increase taxes on the rich. Governments of any party never have any qualms whatsoever in making the poor pay, but the rich (the ones who are that rich where a higher tax wouldn't affect them in the slightest) are left alone. It's an unjust world.

I wouldn't be more amenable to paying more tax.

The poor don't pay tax fgs, they're subsidized by the wealthy.
The one factor against printing money is the assumption that we have an unlimited supply of able and willing workers to pay tax to offset this printing. Well, we don't, this pandemic has highlighted an endemic problem with the nation's health.
It's frightening.
We have 2 generations of elderly and the generation just before that, X is another ticking health bomb.
It's a problem of laissez-faire behavior that's finally caught up with society. Tax rises aren't the answer.

Take that money off people like me in taxes!

Nice bit of virtue signalling there, OP
If you care so much I assume you know there's nothing stopping you from writing a cheque to HMRC whenever you fancy? In fact this was publicised some time ago but almost completely ignored by everyone, even those who insist they should be paying more tax

In a spirit of helpfulness, though, I'll link how to do it so you can rush to make more contributions: www.taxjournal.com/articles/want-to-pay-more-tax-

As long as your talking about the additional rate (150k plus) not higher rate which starts at 50k.

Either that or the higher rate needs to be split again as I wouldn’t want a family with a single income ( or one high earner and one low earned) to pay extra

@AwaitingSueGraysInvestigation

I’d prefer to see a reduction in waste and inefficiency of the public sector before I see tax rises, to be honest.

This, with bells on. The public sector knows how to fritter money on half-baked project ideas, marketing campaigns and external consultancy. We're talking A LOT of money. Sometimes tens of thousands of pounds. And yet, somehow, they're always strapped for cash.

If a private enterprise were run like the public sector, it'd be out of business in less than a week.

I would if the money would be used effectively, but prefer to donate to places and charities I choose.

My job is advising wealthy people on their tax affairs. The majority of 'better off' people absolutely do not want to pay more tax. In fact some are willing to go to great lengths to pay less tax, and were making quite radical moves when it was mooted that tax rates would go up.

@GlamourSpider - definitely greater taxing of corporations would be a good start.

@godmum56TBH, I wouldn't want to pay more tax to this government because they are a shower of useless bastards who are trying to starve the NHS, but if a party were to come along and say 'Yes, we want to give more money to social care, education and NHS but we'll be honest, that's going to take a bit more tax for those who can afford it' I could respect that

I mean, I know higher tax is not a magic bullet but there seems to be something a bit anachronistic and stuck in fear about how any tax rise is straight back to the bad old days of the 1970s in the way no party will ever countenance so much as suggesting it.

I agree. I’d pay more in tax if it meant those on low incomes didn’t have to squeeze by on income support or take more than one FT job to live on. This is why I’m all for a universal living wage or a guaranteed basic income.

Are you donating some of this money you don't need all ready?

Yes I do, but that comes with it’s own problems. Where to put the money to best effect. On average, the most well-known and largest charities in the UK will spend between 26-87% of their annual income on charitable activities. That’s a huge difference. The average boss of the UK’s top 100 charities is paid £255,000 a year. Fourteen of those charities paid their highest earners more than £300,000. Do I really want to give money to a charity that pays their boss a salary of over quarter of a million pounds?

I have a few smaller charities I give to which are close to us, and donate a lot to the school funds, but I would love to be able to help those people I spoke about who are struggling. There isn’t really many charities which do that. There are charities, food banks etc for people in immediate crisis, but for the vast majority of people, there is no charity to help them keep the wolf from the door, really.

I also take issue that it should be charities which solve these types of problems.

@Ciaram55

I've never understood the reluctance to increase taxes on the rich. Governments of any party never have any qualms whatsoever in making the poor pay, but the rich (the ones who are that rich where a higher tax wouldn't affect them in the slightest) are left alone. It's an unjust world.

its because they leave the UK and by and large they are the ones who bring business to the UK. In the 60's the top rate of tax was 97.5p in the £!

Yes, we want to give more money to social care, education and NHS but we'll be honest, that's going to take a bit more tax for those who can afford it' I could respect that

That used to be Lib Dems. They always spoke of a 1p increase in taxes. It was why I used to vote for them.

@BoredZelda

I agree. I’d pay more in tax if it meant those on low incomes didn’t have to squeeze by on income support or take more than one FT job to live on. This is why I’m all for a universal living wage or a guaranteed basic income.

Are you donating some of this money you don't need all ready?

Yes I do, but that comes with it’s own problems. Where to put the money to best effect. On average, the most well-known and largest charities in the UK will spend between 26-87% of their annual income on charitable activities. That’s a huge difference. The average boss of the UK’s top 100 charities is paid £255,000 a year. Fourteen of those charities paid their highest earners more than £300,000. Do I really want to give money to a charity that pays their boss a salary of over quarter of a million pounds?

I have a few smaller charities I give to which are close to us, and donate a lot to the school funds, but I would love to be able to help those people I spoke about who are struggling. There isn’t really many charities which do that. There are charities, food banks etc for people in immediate crisis, but for the vast majority of people, there is no charity to help them keep the wolf from the door, really.

I also take issue that it should be charities which solve these types of problems.

"where to put the money to best effect?"

I would suggest that that is not EVER the government, ANY government