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

[sidneyeric]

It always seems to be the high earners who twist about paying more tax, low paid always seem to say they'd pay more if it wasn't wasted even though they'll be worse off the most.

 

[Baloo]

100k a year up here is fortunes but in London it isn't really. Should Londoners be taxed at the same rate as everyone else when the cost of living is so so high?

I just searched Zoopla for 2 bedroom houses in London within 40 miles of N1 and the cheapest was nearly 600k so that's nearly double the mortgage payment per month. Then you've got to factor in public transport cost etc.

Should Londoners be taxed differently? Do any London based posters have any thoughts on that?

Earning 100k a year in the north east sure I wouldn't mind paying more tax but if I was in London I wouldn't be so keen

Median salary for London (slightly out as from 2919) is £38,272.

Employee earnings in the UK - Office for National Statistics

Measures of employee earnings, using data from the Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

www.ons.gov.uk

 

[ISOE II]

Those of us who worked all the way through should be exempt.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

It always seems to be the high earners who twist about paying more tax, low paid always seem to say they'd pay more if it wasn't wasted even though they'll be worse off the most.

Probably because they pay more and get less in return, directly anyway

 

[Skandhaless]

Those of us who worked all the way through should be exempt.

So none of the millions spent on PPE , testing , track and trace ,vaccine role outs and nightingales etc was for you then cos you went to work

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

100k a year up here is fortunes but in London it isn't really. Should Londoners be taxed at the same rate as everyone else when the cost of living is so so high?

I just searched Zoopla for 2 bedroom houses in London within 40 miles of N1 and the cheapest was nearly 600k so that's nearly double the mortgage payment per month. Then you've got to factor in public transport cost etc.

Should Londoners be taxed differently? Do any London based posters have any thoughts on that?

Earning 100k a year in the north east sure I wouldn't mind paying more tax but if I was in London I wouldn't be so keen

They already get paid more. And they get taxed less than their peers in Edinburgh for example

 

[Kevsgreat]

Those of us who worked all the way through should be exempt.

Bit like saying you shouldn't pay for hospitals because you didn't need to go to one though innit.

 

[The Beautiful Game]

It always seems to be the high earners who twist about paying more tax, low paid always seem to say they'd pay more if it wasn't wasted even though they'll be worse off the most.

I don’t think that any of the high earners are suggesting they wouldn’t pay more. They’re just pointing out that they are already paying proportionally more on their higher earnings and don’t just have an infinite amount of disposable income just because they earn more.

There’s an attitude of “well they can afford it” but it’s just not the case. A 4% increase to someone on £19500 means they have to sacrifice £30pm. If you’re on £60000 you have to have a spare £125. If those two people have the same outgoings then obviously that’s fine but they won’t do.

People who earn £60000 aren’t rich. People will live within their means. Whether or not you agree with people spending their earnings on possessions that’s what they’re going to do by and large.

 

[Harry Angstrom]

Slap a pandemic premium tax on companies that have done well during lockdown. Stick 20% sales tax on internet only businesses to help High Street. Higher rate tax needs increasing as there will be plenty of demand in 2021 from people with savings and inflation may be a problem.

 

[0verlord44]

I don’t think that any of the high earners are suggesting they wouldn’t pay more. They’re just pointing out that they are already paying proportionally more on their higher earnings and don’t just have an infinite amount of disposable income just because they earn more.

There’s an attitude of “well they can afford it” but it’s just not the case. A 4% increase to someone on £19500 means they have to sacrifice £30pm. If you’re on £60000 you have to have a spare £125. If those two people have the same outgoings then obviously that’s fine but they won’t do.

People who earn £60000 aren’t rich. People will live within their means. Whether or not you agree with people spending their earnings on possessions that’s what they’re going to do by and large.

The thing I dont get is that a loaf of bread cost around the same whether you earn 15k or 150k. It doesnt necessarily get more expensive to live if you earn more. not in a linear fashion anyway

Slap a pandemic premium tax on companies that have done well during lockdown. Stick 20% sales tax on internet only businesses to help High Street. Higher rate tax needs increasing as there will be plenty of demand in 2021 from people with savings and inflation may be a problem.

For sure this. Amazon, Energy firms, and anybody with a drive thru have done very well out of this (have you seen a Mcdonalds drive through on a friday night recently?)

 

[ontap]

I disagree as think I pay enoigh tax as it is and as a family we are entitled to nowt . But if we where “all in this together “ during the pandemic then we all are when we pay the tax , no exclusions on salary’s

As long as it’s percentage based , I can see some validity to your point . Someone earning 20k a year has to pay less than a person earning a 100k of course.

 

[The Beautiful Game]

The thing I dont get is that a loaf of bread cost around the same whether you earn 15k or 150k. It doesnt necessarily get more expensive to live if you earn more. not in a linear fashion anyway

It does if you shop at Waitrose!

Joking aside there are certain things that will obviously cost the same no argument there. However the big ticket expenses, house car, holidays, home improvements will be higher and more frequent for those on more money. So it isn’t linear you’re right but neither is the tax system. Once you’re earning over £50k then near half what you earn goes to HMRC. That’s fine, obviously those who have more should give more, but don’t look at someone who’s earning £50k, £60k and think they aren’t going to miss a couple hundred quid every month.

 

[42]

The thing I dont get is that a loaf of bread cost around the same whether you earn 15k or 150k. It doesnt necessarily get more expensive to live if you earn more. not in a linear fashion anyway

Depends which way you look at it
Someone at the bottom will be paying 39p from Aldi. Someone at the top might be wasting £4 from some artisan organic nonsense.

Higher earners do spend more, but should also be saving more. And the stuff they do spend on, a higher % will be on luxury extras compared to those at the bottom who's main spend is on essentials

 

[ontap]

I don’t think that any of the high earners are suggesting they wouldn’t pay more. They’re just pointing out that they are already paying proportionally more on their higher earnings and don’t just have an infinite amount of disposable income just because they earn more.

There’s an attitude of “well they can afford it” but it’s just not the case. A 4% increase to someone on £19500 means they have to sacrifice £30pm. If you’re on £60000 you have to have a spare £125. If those two people have the same outgoings then obviously that’s fine but they won’t do.

People who earn £60000 aren’t rich. People will live within their means. Whether or not you agree with people spending their earnings on possessions that’s what they’re going to do by and large.

We are sounding like Americans, where they detest low paid workers and dont want them to receive any help. Somebody posted earlier in this thread to try and justify a standpoint that higher earners should not have to pay more than lower.That a loaf of bread costs the same whether the person buying it earns 20k or 100k , how absolutely pathetic is that man.

 

[Milton Whonez]

Just stop wasting huge amounts of tax payers money on stuff like the £12 Billion refurb of the Houses of parliament.

 

[Jasper]

Bollocks to that. I’d quite happily pay more in tax if we completely changed our approach to welfare and funding public services but I’m not prepared to pay more for it to fall in the black hole of public spending we currently see.
Love a food SMB spend other people’s money/if you earn more you can afford it thread.

 

[the dude]

Just write it off. Its numbers on a computer screen.

 

[Mickdundee]

I wouldn’t complain too much at a 1% or so rise. However, I would want them to also bring in an extra band for the highest earners and I want the big companies to pay what they’re due.

I’d also like a rewrite of the tax avoidance legislation but can’t see that happening.

 

[ontap]

Amazing how people on higher wages , who getter bigger pro rata pay rises every time which means the wage gap always increases , want to pay no more tax than those earning less, typical hypocritical greed.

 

[0verlord44]

It does if you shop at Waitrose!

Joking aside there are certain things that will obviously cost the same no argument there. However the big ticket expenses, house car, holidays, home improvements will be higher and more frequent for those on more money. So it isn’t linear you’re right but neither is the tax system. Once you’re earning over £50k then near half what you earn goes to HMRC. That’s fine, obviously those who have more should give more, but don’t look at someone who’s earning £50k, £60k and think they aren’t going to miss a couple hundred quid every month.

cant argue with that. what about football players then?

Surely if we are asking people on 28k a year to be taxed more, somebody making over 30k A WEEK should be paying higher % to help the country recover? I just know that it will be those who are at the bottom end of the scale who will suffer, and those at the top wont.

We are sounding like Americans, where they detest low paid workers and dont want them to receive any help. Somebody posted earlier in this thread to try and justify a standpoint that higher earners should not have to pay more than lower.That a loaf of bread costs the same whether the person buying it earns 20k or 100k , how absolutely pathetic is that man.

no you missed my point completely with the bread, if that was aimed at me of course.