Higher taxes incoming on Tueaday

[Choosychoice]

If you earn £100-£125k you currently pay income tax at a marginal rate of 63%. This isn’t enough for the SNP who next Tuesday are increasing it to 65%. 🤯 in what world is this a reasonable thing to do, when money is being wasted left right and centre by these imbeciles on embassies with no political purpose, ferry contracts so bad we pay 10 x the going rate, and a department for constitutional affairs who’s whole purpose is outwith the devolution agreement. We’ve just spent millions trying to get the GRR past section 35 when the case was so weak it took 46 seconds for the judge to throw it out and rUK are (quite rightly) considering asking for the Scottish government to pay their costs.

I don’t mind paying more taxes for the child poverty measures, but raising taxes to allow these fiscally incontinent 5 year olds to waste again and again and again is farcical.

But they don't want English people. They want unfettered immigration but not English people.

Would we rather:

a) our students had a higher academic bar to get into a prestigious course than students from elsewhere, or
b) would we rather courses are free.

the scottish government is denying it’s an either or choice, when it is. Independence, taxing higher earners, the above question the SNP deny, deny, deny the clear downsides to their policies, deny the basic facts that everyone can see. The definition of gaslighting.

The total incompetance of the scot gov is staggering. No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, the failures of the SNP gov are clear to see and well evidenced, they are not a matter of opinion.

Major concerns regarding the new tax policy have been widely documented by experts yet there are still people on this thread defending the Scot Gov position and making out that much of this thread has been written by the tin hat brigade.

I will never vote snp for their total incompetance and I will never vote Scottish labour because they all voted for the sickening GRR bill which in my opinion is tantamount to child abuse.

The state of Scotland truly beggars belief.

Some of the high earners will stick around because they are tied here by kids in school, family etc. But I reckon quite a few will make a move south. Easy to begrudge those earning so much, but they are the business owners, the doctors, the dentists etc that we need. And because they earn more they spend more, on council tax and meals out, dog walkers, cleaners, nannies, beauty treatments, gyms, home improvements all of which means that the money creates a local benefit for others.

We'll miss them when they go.

I'm now seriously considering moving. From NI so no family ties and I work for an English company. Costs me nearly £200 a month more in tax to live here currently. The new rate will impact me even if I get a tiny raise this year. Like most, I'll be redirecting a bit more into my pension.

I remember the argument to stay being that housing was cheaper in Scotland but I've been researching and could afford a similar/suitable property in many parts of England (even the South!) and would have at least an extra £2k a year to put towards it with no lifestyle change.

I've loved Scotland but this feels like a message to get out.

How soon can we realistically expect things to change? It can’t be this crap forever.

I want to love living in Scotland again. I mean, I do love it as a place — but I’ve so had enough of all the nonsense

i live in an expensive part of Edinburgh. There’s pretty much nowhere except London that isn’t cheaper to live.

Scot Gov should be driving a dynamic economy which would then generate the wealth we need and would attract highly paid employment .
ScotGov should be making Scotland an attractive place to do business . Iain Martin points out in Times today that there is child poverty because the Scottish economy isn’t working properly . Scotgov unfortunately is too incompetent and blinkered to realise this .

Tell me about it. It's just been exhausting ever since 2014.

I want a boring government that just runs the country well rather than use our money to fund their pet grievance project.

Whereas my nephew has an unconditional offer for Edinburgh uni and he is from a very poor background. He did really well in all his Highers.

I occasionally wonder if it's weaponised incompetence so they can blame Westminster but I think that gives them too much credit.

Yes, a poor background. Exactly. Deprived background students are still getting in because they’re quota protected. Exactly the situation highlighted in the times.

It is people from normal backgrounds who are being shunted in favour of English / foreign students.

I am in favour of Scottish students from deprived backgrounds getting places at universities like Edinburgh. Why shouldn't they get a chance? My nephew didn't choose to have a younger sibling who is severely autistic and needs care from one parent all hours of the day which means his parents cannot work normal jobs and have opportunities out there like others. But carry on being entitled 😬

I am pleased to see lots of Scottish students getting places at Scottish universities. I don't know any who have been turned away.

You don’t think it would help your nephew more if we had a more sensible system where those who could afford it paid, and with the money saved those from very deprived backgrounds didn’t pay and got extra help on top?

@Vettrianofan do you not see that it must rankle that the group of people who are paying ever-more tax are the ones whose children are not getting university places?
Most decent people are happy to help others, but not at the expense of their own children.

Deprived students should get a chance. EVERYONE should get a chance if they have the grades. But they are not because some unis don’t want underfunded Scottish students, just the fee paying ones and take the bare minimum they have to.

But that's the progressive type of society we have in Scotland. Yes of course it's unfortunate for those whose children lose out. I don't know what the answer is tbh🤷🏻

So your position is I should get taxed up to my eyeballs and my kids shouldn’t get into uni and I should just take it?

I refuse your generous offer 😂

But that's the progressive type of society we have in Scotland. Yes of course it's unfortunate for those whose children lose out. I don't know what the answer is tbh

Don't be surprised if people leave then, or vote the SNP out. Because the type of "progressive" society that actively penalises taxpayers tends to breed resentment.

Progressive? Aye right.

Ha 😬

The key to tax is to get people to pay but not take the proverbial so they change behaviour or leave

Scotland looks like it’s tipping people into the latter

If you are wealthy, you have better life chances. Many children from deprived backgrounds don't get that luxury. They shouldn't be pushed to the back.

We are not as poor as DH's family, but certainly not wealthy either. I think my DC fall within the LEAPs category which will help. I think it's done by postcode.

As I said I don't know what the solution is but you have more agency than those who have very little.

But that's the progressive type of society we have in Scotland. Yes of course it's unfortunate for those whose children lose out. I don't know what the answer is tbh

The answer will be that a lot of higher earners leave the country because on top of paying more tax they aren't getting any real upside to being in Scotland - and fewer will come, leaving even less in the coffers to pay for Scottish students to attend for free. People vote with their feet in the end.

We are pissed off with how Scotland is turning out tbh, for different reasons though. And have been looking into moving to a Nordic country to get away.

And have been looking into moving to a Nordic country to get away.

If you have the skills and finances to immigrate then you're definitely not a family in need.