AIBU?
To not want my children to pay for tax cuts for the middle-class?
antelopevalley · 07/09/2022 12:46
A new policy proposal to increase the ceiling for higher rate tax for individuals has been proposed so that it will only apply once you earn £80k plus. But there seems zero idea of how this will be funded.
Realistically the only way it will be funded is by increased government debt. Debt that my children and others will be working to pay off in the future.
Why should my children and others have to work in the future for tax cuts for the middle class?
Government borrowing should be for investment in the future. Building sources of cheap future energy for the future for example. It should not be used for short term political gains.
Am I being unreasonable?
AIBUYou have one vote. All votes are anonymous.
Jiminycricket10 · 09/09/2022 13:52
Mybestyear · 09/09/2022 12:38
This. I’m a nurse (34 years qualified) and have undertaken around 10 years of additional study and training to get to where I am. I’m from a traditional working class background (coal mining) and have absolutely worked my socks off to earn £60k. Although this is a good salary, it’s not comparable to what 60k was when I was growing up. I’m now considering taking a less demanding role at a lower salary as it’s just not worth the stress as such a huge chunk of my pay goes on tax. It would effectively mean a loss of my skills in the NHS but I’m doing a high risk job (risk as in patient- related interventions) and the stress just doesn’t seem worth it.
shedwithivy · 07/09/2022 13:12
The higher rate tax band was introduced to take more tax off high earners, as the threshold hasn't changed while inflation has continued, it brings ordinary middle income jobs into this bracket (including police officers, firefighters, senior teachers) I do think it would be fairer to stagger tax around this threshold rather than it being a sudden jump which also deters people from promotions or overtime if it tips them into the higher band.
I see your point. I don’t disagree with it. However, nor are most wages worth even a fraction of what they were, and for those in the lower tax threshold the impact of price rises is proportionally greater.
Also from a coal mining region so understand how hard you’ve worked to get where you are - I really do.
Also understand how hard those in lower paid jobs work too - granted some without the additional responsibilities.
There’s a massive issue with wealth distribution and the value placed on some jobs as opposed to others, and I feel we should all be lobbying for each other (e.g. carers have a paltry wage considering they care for some of the most vulnerable members of society, compare with banking where ‘responsibility’ in a male oriented environment comes with a huge pay check). There have been some convincing arguments on here regarding both the 50k and 100k tax bands - that’s why I like Mumsnet to challenge my perspective.
Having said that the effects of recent rises have been so severe that I have to say that changes to tax bands must also be for those lower down the scale too - as opposed to this potential divide and conquer/Tory vote winning/unofficial MP pay rise tactic currently proposed...
SofiaSoFar · 10/09/2022 08:05
@Jiminycricket10
Plus addressing issues like misogyny in pay scales, with many traditionally ‘male’ roles often considered more ‘valuable’... (trades, high level managers on millions vs carers, admin staff, etc.).
You're comparing skilled with unskilled work there.
happyfishcoco · 17/09/2022 18:55
MintJulia · 07/09/2022 13:47
OP, think about which people it will impact most - those earning between £45k and £100k.
Who are all those people who are retiring in the middle of a skills shortage? Who are the 'Great Resignees'?
They are experienced teachers, nurses, doctors, dentists etc in their 50s and early sixties. The ones we need to hang on to and encourage to go on working.
We have a chronic shortage of teachers, doctors, dentists. Creating a tax regime that encourages them to carry on working an extra 5 or 10 years sounds like a good idea to me. Better value too, because the NHS trained them and we should encourage them to work as long as possible.
Sorry if that offends you, but working class people need doctors and teachers just as much as anyone else.
well said!!
thank you for saying that! very good point and that I have not to think of!!
happyfishcoco · 17/09/2022 21:38
Swingsarefun · 07/09/2022 14:41
Come to Scotland where the higher rate tax is 41% not 40% and kicks in when you earn a lofty £43k. Got to fund the illegitimate indypondering somehow.
I disagree with tax cuts as public services need to be funded but would like to see England go to a higher rate starting at £80k just to see what the SNP do next.
but at the same time, Scotland provides the most benefit to all Scots, like free 30 hours of nursery for all 3 years old, free medication, free dental, free UNI!!! correct me if I am wrong. now I wonder who pays the bill for free UNI....
Zilla1 · 18/09/2022 19:38
tbf to Scotland (and Wales), the general understanding is that they have a pot and prioritise differently, such as for prescriptions. There are costs and benefits, such as the burdens on HE institutions. They run things differently to England such as a single police force. Not sure the notion of the 'UK paying for benefits not available in the England' stand up to scrutiny though happy to see the evidence of preferential funding once demographics and geography are taken into account. The statement regarding 'UK paying for benefits not as available in England' seems odd.
Endlesssummer2022 · 18/09/2022 20:37
‘Unless the thought is to effectively buy votes from the working middle-class?’
Well I will love it if the government has suddenly remembered who’s paying the bills in this country. Working middle-class people have had fuck all representation for some time.
We’ve watched as the Retired wealthy Telegraph readers, aspirational working class Daily Mail readers and working class Sun readers gave us Brexit which we knew was stupid and would trash the economy. The working middle classes have had enough of being rinsed for cash whilst being insulted for not beLeaving hard enough.
Many working middle class people have skills that can be taken elsewhere and the government now realise this and have clearly seen the Venn diagram which shows this group are the net contributors. It’s about time we saw something from this shit show.
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