I really really begrudge this...

[Flossam]

Having to pay £129 every 3 years to be able to practise as a nurse. This isn't insurance, I pay well over £150 a year out for that to another body. This is just to be able to be a nurse in this country and look after patients. The police don't have to pay, they get free transport too - better pension, quicker retirement... Feeling ver bitter and angry

Soapbox, both would be right £50000 after tax, £100,000 gross income.. According to DH some GP's have to pay rent for the surgery premises as well

Lailag, surely the 'average' figure includes part-timers - and there are a lot of those. Whole time equivalent average earnings have got to be a LOT higher especially because GPs have done so well on QOF?

and I don't understand how 50 per cent disappears in tax unless your dh has a really crap accountant.

most GPs I know choose not to do on calls any more (or do very few nights as part of a regional on call rota)- that would cut the salary back quite a lot.

My radiogropher freind has a similar small fortune to pay EVERY year.... just to be able to Xray people in this country

He too was employed by the NHS... i couldnt believe it when he told me

I'm the same I have to pay annually to register with my professional body.
What annoys me isn't just the fees, it's the requirements needed. Every year you have to prove you've done so many hours of professional education,ie, been to courses, lectures, confrences, given lectures and published papers.
Not only is it hard to find the time when you have a young family, but it is very expensive and as I also work for the NHS they usually will not allow you the time to go, it all has to be done in your own time.

Edam, 40% plus 9% NI contributions.

Flossam, you can claim tax relief on nursing fees (not inital registration but retention fees) to the GMC and NMC. If you haven't already claimed you can do so back 6 years (from 6 April 1999). You can also claim an allowance for tights and shoes if you have to wear a particular style/colour (only £18 pa at 22% but it all adds up) and a laundry allowance if you have to wash your own uniform. If your employer provides facilities for laundry and you choose not to use them then you can't claim. You need proof from the GMC etc of how much you have paid each year which you send to your tax office.

Same goes for teachers (but not uniform/tights obviously).

Link here

(to change the page on the link, change the letter before htm in the address at the top of your browser)

HTH

Should have emphasised that Union subs aren't covered (except the Medical Defence union). Basically, if it's on that list it is, if it isn't you can't claim it.

But tax isn't 40 per cent of your entire earnings. You have personal allowance tax free, then 20-something per cent on earnings up to a certain amount on top of that (27K?) and only then 40 per cent on the rest. Tax and NI for most people = 1/3 of earnings.

I'm not sure how things work. Apparantly dh gets "profits". Before tax is taken of he and his GP partners have to pay the expenses, like car, telephone and rent for premises (apparently some pay that after taxes)expenses, also locum cover. One of his partners was off sick for 6 months and was only partly insured for this. Cost dh about £7000 to pay for locums.
DH thinks this discussion pointless without exactly knowing how they calculate the whole thing. O, and he wants to change practice as well as he is definately not earning that much.

The guys who calculate docs' pay are the doctors and dentists pay review body - if your dh wants to know how they come up with the average figure, this is where to look. Maybe will suggest some areas where he's losing out? Or could renegotiate with his partners?

pay review body

uh,, Edam, I think he knows why he is losing out on many things. Like one GP off sick for 6 months, he and other partner having to pay for a large part of locum costs (£7000 last year), patients' population (like travellers; difficult to reach certain tartgets).....

According to a survey by GP magazine, together with mags across EU, UK GPs take home £50k on average. It's something like double the average gross wage.

I refuse to believe that a GP is worse of than a nurse. Especially as they now rarely, if at all, work any unsocial hours when at least of my and most other nurses shifts involve working nights and weekends.

RE the fees, I've had a bit of a think on it, seeing as so many other people have to pay too perhaps its not that unreasonable. I think the problem is paying 3 years worth in one go. It works out at £43 a year, which could be worse, but paying £130 in one go is too much. I suspect this way incurs less costs for the NMC though.

DH has to pay about £300 every year to be a Chartered Accountant. He pays, not his company, and he doesn't earn anything like a high salary.

Don't take me wrong. I don't complain about not having any money (except when I forget my purse which happens quite frequently). I do 2 long night shifts/wk, equivalet to 4 days/32 hours. So earning fair bit amongst the 2 of us.

But it's not the whole story. My sister decided not to finish uni and is now living of benefits. She thinks it "unreasonable" that we live in a 5 bedroom house, while she can only afforf a "tiny flat". But she conveniently forgets that both dh and I have moved every 6 months for 20 years, both of us living in a single rented room. Again, I didn't even mind that, on 1 occasion had TWO rooms and didn't use 1 of them, didn't know what to do with it. What I do mind is that my sister complains about her "poor" status, which I feel is/was her own choice.

At the same time she makes me feel bad, so I have paid for TWO of her holidays in the last year, while I only made 1 trip abroad to see my dad.

Sorry if this sounds cheeky, but it sounds like you have a fair bit of disposable income, which you make from you nursing (wish the rest of us in the NHS got extra for working weekends, out of hours etc). £129 over 3 years doesn't sound too bad

Paolosgirl, I did post that in comparison it's not that bad. However, I don't see how that makes you able to judge how much disposable income I have. I am only working one long day a week atm with a 10month old baby and dp has £15000 or debts. Added to that £750 a month rent means I have basically no disposable income and am quite insulted you feel able to comment on that.

I don't think there is any need to feel insulted. A 5 bedroomed house and the ability to pay for 3 holidays (2 for your sister and one for you in the last year) does on the face on it sound like there is disposable income. I thought also you did 32 hours a week?

sorry, but you are confusing flossam with me I think. Must admit that my sister's holidays were just the flights, £40 pounds each...
Always difficult to judge other people's situation. Like my sister who moans about us having to much money doesn't know dh is paying for the education of 2 of his nephews (from "underdeveloped country")

PG, I haven't had a holiday all year, let alone paid for anyone elses! I live in a two bedroomed flat in the cheapest and grottiest area of London.

Sorry Flossam! Thought you were Lailag . So - no 5 bed house or 3 holidays??! No - not here either, sadly

Just a garden would be sufficient with all this lovely weather we've had!

Again, sorry if this sounds cheeky (I seem to be good at putting my foot in it ) - have you ever thought of relocating from London?