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Anyone else lost a bit of ambition now they’ve been taxed to the brink?

1000 replies

Peasontoastt · 04/07/2025 19:56

I used to be extremely ambitious and was really eager to reach some sort of financial security. As a consequence, I’m in what’s considered a highly paid career, I work hard and it took me many years to train.

Just as I paid off my student loan (which took many years), I then had a baby and returned to work to be stuck with the childcare dilemma. I struggled through that phase and have come out the other side but being taxed so much, no child benefit, still paying for nursery even though dd has ‘free’ hours now. It’s likely that savings are going to be bashed next, so what’s the point in even putting anything aside when there’s likely going to be a 4K cap on ISAs.

I used to feel so ambitious and of course I know money isn’t everything, not by a long shot. But having worked my way up the ladder and with huge responsibilities only to feel penalised financially for doing so…what is the point? Yes I have more financial security than someone claiming benefits but equally, I am not being flippant when I say a few years of resting and being at home and being frugal is starting to seem so much more attractive. Has anyone else started feeling this way? I feel taken the piss out of by every financial angle!

OP posts:
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WhisperGold · 04/07/2025 19:59

Taxed to the brink? How?

soupyspoon · 04/07/2025 20:02

We are a low tax economy

KateShugakIsALegend · 04/07/2025 20:02

When I was a SAHM I didn't feel I was resting.

But I don't regret those years either.

guerdyguatd · 04/07/2025 20:03

I think some of it is age and having dc. My dc are upper primary and I am not f/t. That pushes me over 50k and for want I get plus the corresponding increase in juggling more etc it's not worth it for me.

SunnyFTM567 · 04/07/2025 20:03

Go abroad. We moved offshore in 2022 partly because of Covid. Always intended to come back. Now I have a baby, our parents are begging us to come back. But I'm looking at the tax in the UK, the cost of childcare, the salaries, the healthcare....no way. I gave birth in private healthcare, my son has a paedetrician that knows him since birth, and I make more money than I ever could for the hours I work in particular. I am home at 5pm every day!

Look offshore. Plenty of places to go to.

guerdyguatd · 04/07/2025 20:03

We are a low tax economy

not for high earners on PAYE

TheAutumnCrow · 04/07/2025 20:03

No

SunnyFTM567 · 04/07/2025 20:04

soupyspoon · 04/07/2025 20:02

We are a low tax economy

The UK is very much not a low tax economy 😂

HeddaGarbled · 04/07/2025 20:05

My god, the capacity for the privileged to feel hard done by. Taxed to the brink, my arse.

ARainyNightInSoho · 04/07/2025 20:05

No, I don’t feel the same as you. You must be quite a low energy, unmotivated person if paying taxes makes you less ambitious.

My husband and I have been high earners and tax payers all our working lives. I am pleased that we have been able to contribute to society.

KateMiskin · 04/07/2025 20:05

I am nearing the end of my career but my DS, who is beginning his, feels that way. He is likely to go overseas.

guerdyguatd · 04/07/2025 20:06

You must be quite a low energy, unmotivated person if paying taxes makes you less ambitious.

It's really not an unusual feeling, so many overpay pensions or reduce hours to stay under 100k.

RingVerse · 04/07/2025 20:07

The opposite really; I feel very motivated to try to earn more and am making careeer plans for the next five-ten years aimed at increasing my income and bolstering my security given how much everything is going up at the moment. If tax rises come, I don't want to earn less! I want as much put away as possible.

businessflop25 · 04/07/2025 20:08

Get over it! There are many of us who are struggling to put food on the table, a roof over our head and keep the damned lights on! To be worrying about how much flipping tax you’re paying you frankly are bloody lucky.
I don’t give a damn about how hard you think you have worked to get where you are - join the flipping club! Try being grateful for the problems you don’t have!

CaptainFuture · 04/07/2025 20:09

WhisperGold · 04/07/2025 19:59

Taxed to the brink? How?

See @Peasontoastt you're not allowed to mention that the level of tax people are being hit for is ridiculous.
We're meant to be full of 'ooh of COURSE!! I'm so ecstatic to work and pay fuck loads for child care so that those who are multi generational benefit claimants can continue to get their life style paid for forever! They're ENTITLED!!'

KateMiskin · 04/07/2025 20:09

Ha. Tall poppy syndrome is so real.
In a decade there will be no net contributors left.

ssd · 04/07/2025 20:10

HeddaGarbled · 04/07/2025 20:05

My god, the capacity for the privileged to feel hard done by. Taxed to the brink, my arse.

Exactly

Figfug · 04/07/2025 20:12

i hear you. Taxed at 45% here.

MorningLarkEchoes · 04/07/2025 20:12

Yes. I’m a qualified accountant and my DH is a web developer. I struggle to save more than £400 per month after bills and costs of children. My husband has next to no savings. We haven’t been on a holiday abroad for over 10 years.

BirdIsland · 04/07/2025 20:13

The tax I pay each year literally doesn’t cross my mind. I received a statement from HMRC and I was mildly surprised at how high my yearly tax was, mostly because I hadn’t given it any thought, but in no way has it impacted my ambition and drive. I have absolutely no issue at all in paying tax and contributing to the society we all live in - in fact I have made active decisions in the past not to game my income and have therefore intentionally not claimed things like tax free childcare.

If such fundamental bits of your personally are so easily affected by incremental tax deductions, you probably need to take a bit of time for some self-reflection….

JohnnyLuLus · 04/07/2025 20:14

If you're a higher-rate taxpayer you still get the same lower rate as everyone else for the pay up until the threshold, so to say you're taxed "to the brink" is ridiculous. You're not at the "brink" if you're privileged enough to be in the higher rate bracket.

I feel privileged to pay tax. I believe that as someone on 50k+ I should be paying in to support society. It's how a civilised society works.

KateMiskin · 04/07/2025 20:15

One in 4 young people are NEET, and the figure is rising, but yes, let's demonise the ' privileged' ones like the OP, who actually pay tax.

DrCoconut · 04/07/2025 20:15

Funnily enough I feel the same since tax credits were replaced by universal credit. The new system is so punitive and set up to keep you in a hand to mouth existence and prevent you from improving your life. No point in working hard for a bonus as so much of the extra is lost. I'm not saying I should be allowed to get thousands extra, I'm talking about a couple of hundred quid which would put a bit of jam on my kids' bread so to speak. Under the old system it would be averaged out over the year and not be enough to change anything. Before anyone rushes to be nasty and condemn me for being on UC, you probably don't know my back story. I'm lucky that I managed to build a bit of a life (degree, mortgage etc) before my world caved in leaving me dependent on working part time and claiming UC for now. Eventually I will be able to increase my hours again, earn reasonably ok and I will have my own home. Younger people in similar circumstances will not be so fortunate as they will be hammered from the get go. So being worse off does not exempt you from this sort of thing I'm afraid.

Darragon · 04/07/2025 20:16

Yes OP I feel the same. I'm emigrating to somewhere that actually appreciates my job role, has room for upwards mobility, pays people in my sector a fair wage, gives childcare and medical as part of the package, and won't tax my arse off when I get paid what I should for the mandatory 70+ hour weeks.

I'm not a higher rate taxpayer and I still don't get any kind of warm fuzzy doright feels for "doing my bit" when the council charges to empty my brown bin now, when the police won't come out to a car theft and even if they do, they don't ever look for the culprit, where grooming has been covered up by people paid with my tax money, where useless PPE was bought with my money and dumped when found to be useless, where schools are not given the money for the payrises they're mandated to give teachers, and where you cannot get a GP appointment even if you ring at 8am because the lines go down every day for 2 hours without fail from the number of calls they get. What the turquoise fuck are we supposed to feel happy to pay tax for?!

REDB99 · 04/07/2025 20:17

MorningLarkEchoes · 04/07/2025 20:12

Yes. I’m a qualified accountant and my DH is a web developer. I struggle to save more than £400 per month after bills and costs of children. My husband has next to no savings. We haven’t been on a holiday abroad for over 10 years.

Because you’re paying tax?
It’s much more likely that you have a large mortgage, pay for child care (which is short term), have car loans, debt etc

You aren’t in a position where you haven’t been on holiday for 10 years because you pay tax 😂

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