COVID-19: Those earning above £19.5k should pay more tax after pandemic to help fix UK finances, says think-tank

[RUNFAST11]

Your thoughts on this?

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-those-earning-above-19-5k-should-pay-more-tax-to-help-fix-finances-12130088

How should the debt be clawed back? What would you do if you were government to raise the money?

CrazyCatLady thank you. I appreciate that some people have been working throughout the pandemic but I didn't choose to be on furlough, it was either furlough or redundancy and then I only got 80% of my normal wage which took me to below minimum wage. Sick of the snide comments about "benefiting" from government money, yeah it was great spending 4 months worried sick about whether I'd have a job to go back to.

@Waxonwaxoff0

CrazyCatLady thank you. I appreciate that some people have been working throughout the pandemic but I didn't choose to be on furlough, it was either furlough or redundancy and then I only got 80% of my normal wage which took me to below minimum wage. Sick of the snide comments about "benefiting" from government money, yeah it was great spending 4 months worried sick about whether I'd have a job to go back to.

I’ve noticed this at work when people have spoken about the furloughed staff. My argument was “are people to survive on nothing?” I’m lucky, I have my job and I am able to go to my office (unable to work from home as a lot is physical on site). I couldn’t imagine the situation you and others have been in. Sending best wishes

Many people were not too bothered that public sector workers were hammered to pay for the banking crisis, despite having absolutely nothing to do with it. Because you didn’t cause the problem or benefit from furlough doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t pay for it. The problem with increasing income tax is that some people won’t have to pay anything. We also don’t seem to have learnt the lesson that countries that didn’t employ an austerity strategy actually recovered better. I think we need to look at non means tested benefits, pensions and capital gains tax. And the pay and perks afforded to the MPs who quite honestly have underperformed and are still getting an inflation busting pay rise- yet again!

I suspect my four and ten year olds will still be paying tax towards it when they get to working age, frankly

They won't raise taxes. They will print a shed load of money and drive up inflation. So we'll all still be paying for it, we just won't realise it.

Everyone should pay so maybe 1% on tax bands and a deduction somewhere else for those that don’t pay tax.

CrazyCatLady thank you, that means a lot. I luckily went back to work in August and work really picked up, so I'm very glad the furlough scheme existed as it probably saved my job. I know a lot of people weren't so lucky. But I don't really fancy the idea of being taxed more on my tiny wage!

I hope the country can make back significant money in vaccine sales overseas, which could happen quickly. Medium term, if investments are well made then there should be big receipts from the green and infrastructure investments in tax money (I like a bit of Keynesian spend; would like to see more science spend too). No point in the lower paid having to pay extra taxes and reclaim it in benefits. At least the average salary should be set as the minimum for paying extra tax, but I would rather see targets on missing taxation e.g. increased focus on tax loopholes for Company and Dividend taxes, increased focus on pollution taxes.

I really hate the idea that people have on furloughed workers being scroungers. More than 9m workers were furloughed during the peak of the scheme. Some jobs were saved from furlough others weren't but it ensured that some could get money for a period of time.

We still do not learn. First it was vilifying immigrants, those on benefits and now those on furlough.

We are in this together, a tax raise is on the cards regardless. Somehow we need to pay for reducing the spread of the virus.

I think paying a higher percentage of income tax is probably an easy way to raise funds. Raising something like VAT & targeting everyone would be highly unpopular.
I really don't think any specific groups should be singled out to play for it.

@RUNFAST11

I really hate the idea that people have on furloughed workers being scroungers. More than 9m workers were furloughed during the peak of the scheme. Some jobs were saved from furlough others weren't but it ensured that some could get money for a period of time.

We still do not learn. First it was vilifying immigrants, those on benefits and now those on furlough.

Brilliantly articulated

How about the millionaire/billionaire tax dodgers paying their share

@Racoonworld

Everyone should pay higher taxes to pay for it. We are supposed to all be in it together, we should all pay a small amount of extra tax. Maybe 1% extra for normal rate tax payers and 2% extra for higher rate.

Everyone should pay. And those on benefits should also contribute, perhaps deduction of benefits to make it fair.

It's juvenile to think furloughed workers should pay extra tax. Even if it weren't desperately unfair it would never stand up when challenged in court, because it wasn't pre-advised but more importantly would have a disproportionate effect on legally protected categories; it isn't just that most workers didn't get a choice, many were selected for childcare or health reasons.

I think that threshold is too low.

That's too low of a threshold. Will be higher

Oh, did lockdown turn out to be ruinously expensive, who could have guessed?

The threshold seems a little low, but this was obviously coming. And as the burden is significant, it will have to be shouldered by a large proportion of the population.

I think they can fuck right off. They’ve ruined my friebds livelihoods, my children’s education and most of our mental health. And we are expected to pay for the privilege?

I already have to pay a penny extra on every pound to keep that bloody Scottish Parliament I didn’t ask for going as it is.

Furloughed workers aren't scroungers, but some have had the best part of a years free wage to sit at home! I've worked every sodding day, not even a 2 week isolation, why should I pay for this and not them?

@Waxonwaxoff0

Excuse me? So some people on this thread think that because I was on furlough through no choice of my own that I should pay more tax even though I'm already on minumum wage which isn't enough to live on as it is?

Fuck off.

Exactly. I never wanted to be furloughed. The government forcibly closed schools and nurseries and therefore I had no choice. They can fuck off if they think I "benefitted" I would have benefitted more from being allowed to carry on as normal, thank you very much.

Hmmm ok. I've only just managed to scratch up to £36k after 10years hard work in my career. If they want to tax more of that then fine. But it simply means I will be spending much less and giving much less back to the economy in that way. Not that I suppose it matters.

@BeakyWinder

Furloughed workers aren't scroungers, but some have had the best part of a years free wage to sit at home! I've worked every sodding day, not even a 2 week isolation, why should I pay for this and not them?

I don't think anyones saying you should they shouldn't, but it should "start with furloughed workers" which someone else said, as if it were a fucking choice.

BeakyWinder I worked throughout and I thank my lucky stars for that. It was hardly the furloughed workers fault that they stayed home and I imagine the percentage that have been off “best part of a year” is tiny.

They have been financially fit if they were on 80%, I wasn’t.

Turn it around then, increase the tax of those who worked throughout the pandemic last. If I get financially penalised for grafting my arse off for the last 8 months I will actually protest for the first time in my life. I'm so bloody sick of this government.

NickyNacky - I get your point, I'm thankful for my job too.