Do you pay a lot more tax?

[OwlsR]

I’m in England and just jealous about Scotland not having peak time rail fares.

i know the free university tuition is funded by reducing places and is causing problems for Scottish students.

free prescriptions would not cost a lot as most people who get multiple prescriptions already don’t pay, tbut it would all add up?
Or are there other things we get in England that Scots don’t?

Yes, we pay more tax over a certain earning, the higher rates kick in at a lower salary here (google it for specifics)
We get free eye tests too and under 22’s now all get free bus travel

The simple answer is yes, anyone who earns more than £30k will pay more tax than they would in England. It’s not much more until £45k + but really starts to kick in from then as this table illustrates https://greaveswestayre.co.uk/news-and-events/blog/scotland-vs-england-a-taxpayer-comparison/
Our DS is now at a Scottish university and yes it’s fantastic not to pay fees, plus free bus travel until age 22. However do bear in mind that Scottish courses are 4 years rather than 3, we did the comparison of Glasgow versus Newcastle and the overall cost difference wasn’t as much as we had thought. I was worried he might not get into a Scottish uni as went to private school, but in the end he got offers with 5 As at Highers.

We are both downscaling jobs as well so no longer hit by the high tax rates on middle earners.

On a £47K salary I pay about £25 more tax per month than I would in England.

My husband and I pay about £650 a month more for living in Scotland. I wish they scrapped the free uni thing and ploughed the money into schooling and FE which are both hugely underfunded and I have 3 kids coming up to uni in the next 5 years.

Scot rail is currently running at a loss. Surely the off peak fare will just go up to compensate for there being no ‘peak’ rail fare any more?

id come just over paying more tax. Spokesman for government said they expect passenger numbers to rise. I think I’d prefer the higher tax.

My main cost to public is health - do you think the quality is better? (Can’t actually move just curious to hear from individuals, I know there will be research and stats).

I currently don't pay more tax as I benefit from salary sacrifice schemes, but otherwise I would be paying more. However, housing costs significantly less where I live compared to where I would have to live in England to do the same job, so I would overall still be better off.

The lack of free/funded childcare is a massive downside to Scotland at the moment.
Tax and stamp duty significantly higher here if that will affect you.

£650 a month? You must be incredibly high earners.

I'd like to say health care is better but I wouldn't like to be without private medical cover these days!!

a few years ago my sil who is English was invited for a full health check up (age dependent): it flagged up pre diabetes and she was able to take action and make changes. I think this would be good here in Scotland rather than free prescriptions but I’m not making the decisions, so don’t know the full picture.

yes we pay more tax.

Particularly difficult to understand is when I read at the weekend than NS bleated on about how bad tax avoidance is when FM and she’s got a limited company for all her non MSP earnings. Yes limited companies will pay tax but that goes directly to Westminster and not holyrood.
I do not think tax avoidance is bad (saving for pension is tax avoidance).

England seems to hold their politician more to account.

My GP sister has just gone private for her partner’s health condition. The help and support he has received from her practice has been frustrating and abysmal (her words).

I don't disagree with this point, I have an 18 month old and nursery cost is eye watering. But think it is worth making the point that children here tend to start school later, all children will be at least 4.5 before they go to school and the majority will be 5, if not 5.5. Therefore the cost would be higher here per child if funded hours were to kick in from 9 months.

Definitely agree that cost of childcare is a huge issue for families and a barrier for those returning to work - but the blunt comparison is tricky.

Yes we pay more tax, but our jobs and lives are also based in Scotland. It isn't something that I really think about very much tbh.

I'm on approx £100k, my husband on a bit more. Not incredibly high for the Edinburgh finance sector. I don’t mind paying higher taxes but I think the Scottish government waste an awful lot of money on things like PR, independence posturing, quangos. I do object to the extra high stamp duty. Stamp duty on buying a place last year for £850k was £62k in Scotland. Would have been £32k in England. As someone who has earned every penny I have ever had that’s a staggering about of money for the crime of moving house.

Nicola Sturgeon here is pretty disgraceful. As is Angela Raynor actively trying to avoid tax on her house transactions. The only motivation for both NS going through a limited company and AR making her primary residence her holiday house seems to be tax avoidance. Very different from putting money in a pension, the primary reason for which is to save for the future, not avoid tax.

My dc are all grown up now but it seems to me as the first 1/2 years of Scottish primary are all about play, does it really matter about starting school later? It’s so important to get the foundations of education right and early years education is vital. Yes it starts in the home but school is such a big part of our children’s lives and future.

people do go on about how great starting education is later and often cite Finland’s education system as amazing: but I don’t see many people rushing to go to university or seek employment in Finland or the rest of Europe for that matter (even when we were in the EU I could count on one hand how many went abroad for a year as part of their studies).
A lot of European university courses are carried out in English so the language barrier is as much of a concern.

@Purpleheatherrain yes i agree NS and Angela Rainer two peas in a pod.

yes pensions are saving for old age/ future but it’s still tax avoidance and many people do it to avoid paying as much tax. For example, NHS Doctors are advised to save into an additional private pension to reduce their adjusted net income bringing to below £100k and avoid the 60% tax trap. I’m not saying it is wrong but it’s good to be transparent.

That’s sound judgement though as the 60% marginal rate is ludicrous and I hope Labour get rid of it. Much better just to increase the top rate of income tax instead.

And NS may want to avoid income tax too as she thinks it’s ludicrously high - BUT SHE MADE IT THAT HIGH so that simply won’t wash.

My main cost to public is health - do you think the quality is better?
varies on area, I’m in the highlands it has been terrible for me. I’ve had to go private for several things and Scottish usage of private healthcare has gone up.

DM has 4 free carers a day as she is bed bound and needs help with toileting - my understanding is that this would not be paid for in England. So this is a massive difference as having priced up private care or care homes, paying for this privately could run into thousands of pounds each month. Also the service she has received through the NHS is excellent.

We are in a different health board and don’t use health services much so it’s hard for me to say if that is universal across Scotland.

I don't pay particularly more income tax but our equivalent stamp duty - LBTT - on that this year I'm paying about £5,000 more.

Yes I pay 6.5k extra a year. You can’t move house because who can afford to pay 60 k on lbtt tax to move. The public services are run into the ground ( compatible to England.) You’re supporting a huge amount of the population who are retired or not working on tax credits. If you complain some tattie will mention baby boxes as a major achievement. Does anyone actually put their baby in a cardboard box? I would not move if I were you.

Also the politics here are quite jarring, no one cares about higher earners paying loads of tax, you will see most people welcome it like it’s a good thing. Can lead to a feeling of resentment.

This sort of thing is why the country is bankrupt, there is a social worker in charge of the countries finances. In my opinion the Scottish parliament should not have been allowed to have tax raising powers because they are financially illiterate and the barnet formula means the country is no better off but tax payers are worse off,