to be fed up of hearing 'I've worked hard for my money'

[newbluesofa]

Lots of chat on MN recently about taxes on high earners. So heard lots of 'we have this money because we work bloody hard for it' and honestly I'm sick of it and think the people who say it are selfish.

Nurses work incredibly hard, long shifts, difficult job. Carers provide absolutely essential service, again shift work, difficult hours, difficult job. Teachers provide essential work, I know multiple teachers and they all devote evenings, weekends, school holidays to the detriment of their own families. All of these jobs also have huge emotional tolls. So 'I've worked hard for my money' means nothing to me, because a lot of people work a lot harder for a lot less.

I think there is also an element of working hard not just now but throughout school to get good grades to go to uni and then working hard at uni to get a good job to get a good salary. in fact, it was ‘work hard now [school] so you can be comfortably off later on’. Instead of ‘don't worry about school or good grades, the taxpayer will sort you out later’.

edited to add I know somebody whose father was a truck driver but he (the child) ended up a doctor. So people can absolutely educate themselves out of low paid hard-working physical retail jobs in this country, if they are willing.

Bingo. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

I'm complaining about entitled rich people who use 'I've worked hard for my money' as a reason why they don't want to pay more tax

The thing that people like you OP are missing on is what these people mean by 'working hard'.

What is 'hard' about working hard is not how busy you are. As a matter of fact, it is often the opposite. What is 'hard' is the weight of responsibility, which include those below them who won't earn as much.

Until you are in a position of high responsibility, it is a concept that it is very hard to understand. I certainly didn't until I got there and reached a point when I chose a cut in salary for less responsibility.

The other aspect of 'having worked hard' is the sacrifices that needed to be made. They might not appear a lot individually but cumulatively do mount up.

Yes I did and I do work hard. I wouldn’t complain about tax and say I shouldn’t pay more BECAUSE I WORK HARD because I acknowledge that most people who earn less and pay less tax also work really hard. So actually it’s not relevant.

I don’t need to. They are on the Institute of Fiscal Studies. Your previous post to the higher earning poster clarifies where you have gone wrong. If you still need them after looking it up, let me know.

The only country that successfully implemented a wealth tax is Switzerland because the % is very small and also all the other taxes are low and the stability is there that the government won't decide to raid the rich people.

All the other countries have had massive capital flight. And yes high earners do work hard for their money (usually). People on lower incomes probably do toil away but that's how it is.

Well, lucky him.

And you should do.

I “should” what?

Why are you refusing after promising 3 times to post graphs? I am really interested to see how graphs form IFS explain why the dentist gave up work rather than pay for her additional childcare

You have told us an awful lot about your husband here @PrawnsForDinner

What about you?

So should we just pay any all our savings into your bank account then whilst you stay at home? Is that the solution? It’s absolutely fair that I go to work for other people to stay at home?

whats my incentive for going to work, so that I can pay more and more tax?

Again though, why do you need to relate it to anyone else? It's your income, from your hard work - that uou worked for it is a perfectly good reason to opine on where it goes. We don't tell low earners that they shouldn't complain because others also work hard. It's illogical.

Very articulately and well explained….!!

Not luck. Hard work. Yes as with life, there's some luck involved. He found his first employer was hiring quite randomly. Applied and got it.

DH has always had a vision and a plan and worked to build his success.

I work hard but there are definitely people who have lower paid jobs than mine that are harder physically and mentally. But I worked very hard for many years to get where I am - school, undergraduate, masters, PhD. I don't have that energy anymore and I'm not looking to climb a career ladder. In contrast my partner actively learns in the evenings to improve his career prospects. He is driven and in his second year of a part time masters that he is doing in his own time. He now earns double what I do (whereas 5 years ago we earned similar amounts). Edited to add, he already has 2 masters - he just wants to keep improving.

You missed the point. Working hard won’t get everyone to the point of getting a “good education” or high paying roles.

Some aren’t capable of achieving that, and their limit is in lower paid employment - or no employment at all.

'There's some luck involved' You've said it yourself.

I would be interested to know what percentage of people in £2million+ houses bought their house without any family help.

This is really painful I know. But you do realise you’re totally wrong? At 100k you not only lose your personal allowance but more than 15 hours of funded childcare. Not the 15 you told the pp. Times have changed since you had children, clearly. You didn’t understand it and tried to argue a point you don’t get. Maybe I should’ve used crayons! Images attached…

Luck doesn't negate hard work.

When we’re done applauding your husband, will it be your turn?

I personally don’t relate it to others at all. It’s been pointed out repeatedly throughout this thread that the implication by people who say this in the context of moaning about tax is that they work hardER than others who don’t pay as much. I can’t keep repeating this to you so I’ll leave it there.