Quote Originally Posted by ragingpup View Post
So I come from the opinion of "robbing the rich"? How did you work that out? I am a democrat and at the moment we as a society have democratically decided to ask high earners to pay 40% tax on their earnings. How does that equate to robbing the rich??

You argue in favour of "encouraging creation of wealth which trickles down and spreads" - yes we have been following that direction for the last 40 odd years and from my point of view, as I look around me, I see more people in poverty, using food banks and huge increases in homelessness. I've watched this happen, slowly but surely since Thatcher. What makes you think, from your point of view, that your own theory is working? We've given it a good go!

Can I ask if you are an employer and affected by the higher tax rates? Does the high rate of income tax affect you in any way? I ask only as you have departed from your own research suggestions of what generates the most wealth to suggest that you'd like to see large cuts in income tax for the wealthy. This seems such a huge flight of fancy that even Kerr would hesitate! Just trying to get where you're coming from on this.
The impact on people here now is only part of the story. The thousands of millionaires clinging to a rock in the Irish Sea aren't there for the weather, they're there because they pay 20% income tax (I may not be up to date with the current rate) Now imagine somewhere where people would actually like to live with a 20% tax rate. How many wealthy people would be attracted to come and pay their taxes here then? It's worth remembering that something like a third of the income tax is paid by less than 1% of taxpayers. You don't need to attract that many people at this level before it starts to make a difference.

To answer your question directly, I used to pay the higher rate of tax (not exactly happily, but without trying to avoid it). But when the rate went up under Gordon Brown it prompted me to look at whether there was an alternative. There was, and as a result I've paid an awful lot less ever since - nothing dodgy, underhand or illegal I hasten to add! I know several other people who did the same thing, which is why I feel so strongly about people who say we should hit the 'rich'. It doesn't work.