To think this epitomises the squeezed middle - HMRC shitiness

[lurchersforever]

So the weekend before Christmas I have received the joyous news that I have not paid enough tax this year so my personal allowance for the rest of the tax year will be adjusted so I can pay it. This will wipe out the pay rise I have just received (it was the teachers' 5.5% and the first 3 months were pretty much wiped out anyway as they were received in a lump sum in November so taxed more, so that what I received for 3 months was the same as I what I got for one month this month). Next month I'l get nothing as a result of the unpaid tax. I am due another pay rise next month as will start a promoted role so I'll see what that brings but it won't be much as not a huge step up this time.

Next month my mortgage will go up £100 as I've had to renew for the first time since the rates rose (it could be worse) and I also have to pay back pretty much all my child benefit from last year which, as a single parent with an ex who pays nothing (I am with CMS - he's low income but owns a house outright and has money for stuff he wants) stings a lot.

I did exam marking in November, which nearly killed me in terms of workload, and got £630, which is £100 less than the tax I owe so is essentially wiped out by that.

I'm so fed up. I earn a salary that I never thought I would and would have thought if I did it would be great, but disposable income isn't that different from what it was pre-Covid as a result of col etc, but, worse than that, every time I do get a bit extra it's taken away. Enormous increases in workload and stress for next to nothing in the end. What is actually the point in working yourself into the ground for it just to be taken?

Your children would get a dependants’ pension but it only goes up to age 23 and that’s if they stay in education. I agree it’s not much back.

But deaths of members with dependent children are very few and far between, so much so that the pension scheme funding model pretty much ignores them.

Are you a teacher at a private school OP?

If not, how do you think your pay rise should have been funded if not through the tax system?

(Depending on your political leaning I'm guessing that your answer will include either 'Amazon' or 'Benefits Claimants')

I think it should be funded by taxes but in such a way that it doesn't take away the majority of pay increases/ earnings from second jobs, which is how it feels at the moment, though I appreciate it may be skewed by timings etc and hopefully I will actually be better off in the long run. It's just proportionately the amount of extra work I'm doing doesn't match the extra pay I'm seeing at the end of the month and I've just been told that's going to be even worse over the next few months so that's bloody annoying.

I'm also not an economist but I don't see why it's oh-so-ridiculous to think that corporations like Amazon should pay a fair whack of tax though.

@lurchersforever this .... Read it. It's not worth marrying for this or moaning about this small amount.

They could choose to fund the higher premiums or accept the risk that if they die young they will have to make alternative provision for providing for their children.

A lot of people can’t afford £300 a month etc so as I said it’s not a choice plus plenty of people argue anyone that unless you can “afford” dc you shouldn’t have them at all.

Do you think that other people should pay additional premiums to fund them?

That’s how insurance tends to work though.

I think it should be funded by taxes but in such a way that it doesn't take away the majority of pay increases/ earnings from second jobs

That’s the current tax model though so you would have to overhaul it.

I'm also not an economist but I don't see why it's oh-so-ridiculous to think that corporations like Amazon should pay a fair whack of tax though.

People should stop shopping at Amazon but they want cheap & convenient so you pay the price in other ways.

They want children that’s up to them. But they have to accept the fact that if they don’t want to pay extra for life insurance then if they die their partner is going to be solely responsible for funding.

And Insurance isn’t subsidising it’s risk pooling.

@lurchersforever

It’s no consolation OP, but I read an article today, which said since HMRC suffered cuts in staffing, which hollowed it out; they have not been able to collect £30 billion in tax! I can testify to the complete disarray, after listening to DH or his partner listening to Muzak for ages; or struggling to speak to anyone there, with some sense. Even if they find someone and ask to speak to them again, they get told the staff member won’t be on the same telephone number next time!

Conversely, £23 billion in benefits such as pension credits are unclaimed; as if the DWP deliberately make it too hard - what with 200 questions to get pension credit; or doing it all online, which excludes some elderly people!