To want to move to England because of Scottish tax.

[Nogg]

Is anyone else thinking of moving to England because of tax. I’m a single parent and I am paying 7k extra tax a year. The place I live is run down. I really want to move but the only issue kids settled in ( failing) Scottish education system. I wonder if anything will change at next election? Hate SNP and what they have done to Scotland.

The SNP have done untold damage to Scotland and the education system is one of the biggest victims. So sad. That said, I had to work in England for a couple of consulting contracts over the years and I wouldn’t dream of actually relocating there permanently. The quality of life for me was so much better north of the border and the extra cost was worth it. Maybe try and move within Scotland?

edited to add - I’ve got kids also and the grass is definitely not greener!

I’ve lived in England too , it had its own issues but not sure the quality of life is better in Scotland . Maybe better than London or inner city but not rural / market town England,

Scotland just feels so run down now even crossing at the borders the Northumberland roads are better maintained!

Wow where about in Scotland do you live that's so run down?

Central Scotland but don’t want to give exact location

Some of these things are about your gut and what makes you and yours happy - and where you’re thinking of moving to. Depending on your circumstances some things are better, some things are worse. Some areas of England have much higher house prices…

tbh, the higher taxes don’t bother me as much as the lies that we could continue this level of spending if Scotland was independent, the lack of reality. But I don’t think about it day to day - show me a country with honest politicians…

I share some concerns about the education system. But there's no way I would leave Scotland! Can't get better "cooncil" juice anywhere else in the world!

I'm not sure how you can be paying £7k extra without being a high earner. There are loads of places in central Scotland that are not run down. Why not move to one of those. But if you do move to England don't forget to pay for your prescriptions, opticians, dentist check ups etc. And bus fares for children.

Yes will pay for the Scottish freebies as bill will be far less than my tax excess paid! I’m currently paying for lots of others free stuff too!

I would move but the LBTT is so much to move in my house price bracket as I live in an expensive area where houses are not cheaper than England ( bar London). My lbtt here was £50k only would be 22K in England so how can I move.

its a race to the bottom!

I'm not sure. I was thinking of moving to Scotland for free elderly care, no student tuition fees, free prescriptions for all, free dental care til 26, heating benefit for all pensioners etc. Plus more money is going to be pumped into education

I'm not really going to move but it's tempting

But if you pay higher taxes to pay for this it's swings and roundabouts

"Free" anything just means you (or someone else) gives more money to the gov for them to give it back to you in kind.

Me. The govt here are absolutely bonkers and completely ineffectual.

Ok. I didn't realised tax rates were higher in Scotland. Is all the free extra stuff funded by Scottish tax payers?

The higher taxes here really do put me off Scotland as we certainly don't use enough of the 'freebies' to make up for it. Our council tax is also ridiculously high - we're in a bizarrely high band up here whereas the equivalent type of house south of the border would not be.

The other thing that has pissed me off recently (and this is a small thing but still annoys me!) is that we never get the same alcohol deals that you can get in England due to the minimum pricing thingy here. E.g. people in England can buy a litre of Baileys for a tenner, it's £13 here.

Well partly it’s paid for by higher income tax but helped to a huge degree by Barnett consequentials so more money to play with. Which is all fine if that was honestly reported.

the alcohol thing is a pain but the lower life expectancy in poorer parts of the uk is a massive worry - some parts of Scotland have horrible life expectancy stats and booze is a big part of that.

If you want your kids to go to university in Scotland I strongly recommend you stay in Scotland. I have two kids and it’s going to cost over £70k in fees to get them through their degrees, and that’s before accommodation and maintenance costs.

To be fair, if you’re buying Bailey’s by the litre, the cost is the least of your worries 😁

If you earn £50k you are paying £1,500 a year more then if you live in England. £125 a month. For terrible public services and a terrible government. Where minors go completely unpunished. Where the NHS is going in the wrong direction rapidly. Where the government is planning to add among her £800m to the benefits bill as an election bribe. And when things go wrong instead of taking responsibility to fix things they blame ‘Westminster’. When our kids leave home we’re off.

And what’s with the thinking that house prices are more expensive in England? I live in Edinburgh. Anywhere outwith London would be cheaper to live.

Free dental care up to 26 - but try finding an NHS dentist!

I have a dentist and I pay £5:29 or some such random amount. I’d far rather they charged me and everyone else what it costs and taxes were brought down accordingly. Why should those lucky enough to have an NHS dentist have good cheap dental care when those taxpayers who can’t get on an NHS dentists books not?

Why do people keep saying elderly care is free - it isn't. Heating benefit isn't it now tired - worth only £100 for some - not exactly life changing, the admin will take more to deliver than the benefit.

I'm very happy paying my tax thanks. I wouldn't live in England for anything! And I've lived abroad so I'm not wedded to Scotland by any means, but England is just same shit, worse country.

Nothing run down about the towns near here. South of Scotland. Bonkers government though.
How are you paying an extra 7k tax? If you're earning that sort of money why are you living in a run down town?

SNP are on their way out I'd say. You must be on a fairly high salary if you are paying £7k extra tax. Way up the pros and cons before you make such a move.