AIBU to say that I have had enough of this government and Its grabby supporters.

[Ihavehadenough1345]

I have name changed for this and am prepared for the pile on, backlash, kicking I am going to get but I have had enough!

My tax bill was £80,000 this year. I am self employed. I pay £16,000 a year in VAT. I have a valuable asset. I own my own home.
no mortgage. I have worked bloody hard. No inheritance, no Oxbridge, no privilege and no luck!

I pay for private school for 2 DC.

I am asset rich, cash poor. I have enough money to pay all of my bills, no debt, I’m not extravagant. If you met me you wouldn’t know my financial situation. I am normal.

But my tax contribution is not enough for this government and its supporters.

I read all of the posts of all of the threads regarding VAT on school fees, UC, the cost
of living crisis and on and on and on!

I have had enough.

And I do not need therapy and I do not have ADHD or bipolar.

Let the games begin!

I don't think I know many people that earn this either and I am not suggesting that it's anything other than a very nice life. Wealth is obviously not a clearly defined concept. But the top 1% has a huge range, compared to the bottom 99%

But because I know they lose thier personal allowance, pay 40% over a certain amount and 45% over the next amount I don't feel this is the group not taxed. I feel this group pays a lot.

Nice try, but there are a much broader range of instruments that could be used than that.

Oh diddums.

I've also worked hard, not come from privilege, no Oxbridge... Guess what? I didn't end up wealthy and paying loads of tax because the cards didn't fall in my favour and I happened to be born disabled.

You can say it's all hard work and no luck all you want but there is certainly a degree of things happening to go well for you where it hasn't for others.

You may also be surprised to know that even NMW workers work hard for their money. I hate the narrative that one becomes wealthy by hard work as it completely diminishes the efforts of those lesser paid.

I don't disagree with you that many people have forgotten that it's a two way social contract: ie you pay in when you can and take out when you need. So many people try to get out of tax, or worse, get out of work but are happy to raid the coffers when it suits them. However, you are not the hard done by one here by far.

@Ihavehadenough1345 what a totally depressing thread talk about a race to the bottom. Of course you’re going to send your children to the best option for them it’s not a race to the bottom this country is a total mess and my son will be leaving next year with my blessing
@Keirawr totally agree with your sentiments

@woahwe we’re all hard done by when the prevailing narrative is that we can’t tax real wealth more because it will leave. They love nothing more than us taking potshots at each other as you have just done. We should be joining together to say ‘enough!’ to ultra wealth, not arguing among ourselves about who is harder done by. BECAUSE THEY’RE SHAFTING ALL OF US.

This kind of sums up the problem and why higher earners are feeling exasperated with their high taxes rates (and suggestions exclusively they should be paying more).

You feel like you’re in the middle, no doubt because of your lifestyle. But you aren’t at all - you are in the top 1-2% of earners. You are really incredibly high earning.

The growth in house prices (and now even higher cost in servicing mortgages) plus general above inflation growth in other big spend areas (childcare, school fees) mean that somehow even a really big wage, without wealth too, means a comfortable but not particularly luxurious lifestyle.

I don’t believe that is who the poster is meaning at all.
There are many who are multi generational benefit recipients who don’t work and have higher numbers of children than those that do work.

i hear you OP. We have reached a crunch point where Individuals earning what appears to be a lot are paying more and more in tax, childcare etc and the life style for their level skill does not match expectations. Those on nmw are being topped up left right and centre and those working full time on nmw are also not receiving a salary and lifestyle that would be expected either. Too many people who can work not working full time.

People have no more and don’t want pay more tax. Especially when you see the ongoing waste and I hate to say this but the ridiculous things councils do such as paying thousands in taxis to get children to school. It’s all very well saying people have to if they want their roads fixed but actually they don’t. The difference in the 2 scenarios above is that the higher earner has options - move overseas being the most extreme but also to change hours, spending patterns etc.

Unless the government take bold action its going to get a lot worse and very fast.

You've extrapolated a bit there. Surprisingly, I do find that those living in poverty through no fault of their own are indeed harder done by than someone who earns enough to pay £80k (from memory) in tax. Doesn't mean to say that OP isn't also worse off than the mega rich, does it? It just means OP needs to get a little perspective before whinging.

And the money raised by VAT on school fees won’t go on 6,500 new teachers it will go on funding the 4% pay increase teaching unions are demanding to avoid teachers going on strike.

You appear to mean the 4% pay rise that the independent pay review body just recommended that the government give teachers because if they don’t give that much there is no chance of recruiting an extra 6500 new teachers. Interesting how you have decided to spin in though.

I assume you are trying to portray teachers as ‘grabby’ for wanting a modest pay increase during a cost of living crisis while at the same time you are righteous for wanting to keep more of what sounds like your ludicrously high salary during a cost of living crisis.

OP, along with most Brits, probably has no idea of the huge non-tax burdens in the US…… property tax, health insurance and deductibles, state and city taxes on top of federal taxes, high cost of many everyday items and utilities, not to mention far higher cost of groceries. There are many places where you wouldn’t want to send your children to public/state schools unless you cannot afford private.

When this country has a labour government there is an expectation that the ills of society will be addressed and that the poor hard working will be recompensed! But where is the money going to come from?

Where is the investment? The economy won’t be fixed by taxing earners like me more, or by raising corporation tax, or by budget cuts or by borrowing.

If this model satisfies you then your bar is low.

There is nothing to be excited about with current economic policy. I didn’t vote as some PPs have suggested (they must be telepathic).

No government is any better than the previous.

It's very difficult OP, but it feels as though no one wants to properly address the situation of an expanding benefits bill and fewer people working. Like you I've always felt that not working is not an option, but it's clearly not the case where I live where 30% of new parents are claiming disability benefits for them or their children - and I can't really blame them, because it's very rural/deprived and minimum wage jobs are the only other option.

Crack on then. They love nothing more than divide and conquer.

The problem is, you are in that bracket which will always get the higher taxes, because no government is brave enough to do anything about the ultra wealthy who have the money to pay to hide it offshore.

No matter what government is in this happens. And it doesn't matter how low tax is, the wealthiest among us will always seek to avoid it.

Until the loopholes are properly closed for the very rich, this won't change. Successive governments punch down because the very wealthy are untouchable. These are the people who truly hold our country to ransom by threatening to take their money elsewhere, despite the fact that they have already done so.

I am a high earner and honestly cannot understand what OP is moaning about. I live a very comfortable life and absolutely can afford to be taxed more. I didn’t send my children to private school. I don’t think they are necessarily worth it and if your child is bright they will do well in most state schools (mine did). I voted Labour and I am so happy there are finally adults in charge in this country. The millionaire’s are always threatening to leave 🙄

Yes, so you said. I bow down to your infinite wisdom.

🎻

It won't be fixed by continuing to do what decades of governments have done, which is allow the ultra rich, the multi-millionaires to continue syphoning their money off-shore.

You are paying partly because they won't. It suits governments to keep us thinking those of us in high tax brackets are paying because of the welfare state alone, rather than objectively considering that there is another factor causing the 'squeezed middle' and that is the ultra rich who pay next to nothing because they know how to avoid it.

There's not a simple solution to that, but people like you are stuck between the richest and the poorest. And every single government for at least the last five decades has continually failed to do anything about the tax dodgers at the highest level,preferring to stoke the war between the have nots and the have a bit mores.

Which is to say that the government owns your money and only allows you to use it as and when and how it sees fit.

Is that really a society you'd want to live in?

I’m also a higher rate tax payer (only just)

So I earn significantly less than the OP. But I’m happy with being taxed. I could afford to pay more tax if I was told to. I live a comfortable but not extravagant lifestyle. I don’t send any kids to private school but do currently pay DDs rent at 1k a month. When she finishes training I’ll have even more disposable income. No I don’t want to support work shy fuckwits but am happy to pay towards people who need help.

All state schools should be properly funded, through tax, so they achieve better and are the best option for everyone.

Yes they should, in the utopia that will never exist, alongside the properly funded NHS, and where everyone is healthy and glowing, there is no poverty, and we are all skipping around joyfully without a care in the world.

I have no issue with you, OP. I am a Labour voter, always have been, but I am gutted at what this lot are doing, Reeves in particular.
The rise in employer VAT contributions has taxed the government’s already strapped own public sector! It is madness.
Good luck to all who earn what you do, it’s the big corps and multi millionaires and billionaires I want the government to tax properly. No one has “earned” that much. It comes off the backs of the country’s resources, people, basically. Wealth should never be allowed to concentrate like it has in the past fourteen years. It was robber capitalism.
If hard work is the key to wealth, that should make every woman in Africa a millionaire, surely?

There is no such thing as ‘best option for everyone’ it’s a contradiction in terms.