O/T - general election 2019

[KerrAvon]

I realise that you are merely demonstrating to Roly that you actually do pay more tax the richer you are. Fair enough.
I assume that he, and everyone else, would already know that and ,perhaps, his argument is that the rich should pay even more.

Nothing really mind-boggling on the article you link to but the fact that the lowest income households pay a bigger percentage of total income on direct plus indirect taxes is a bit of a concern.

I would also guess that the income of lower income households is not net of any amounts in pension schemes, avoidance schemes etc.

I never like to make assumptions about what Roly means. I enjoy surprises.

I think that the notion that the top 1% of earning households pay about 27% of the total income tax paid, and the top 10% of earners pay about 59% should at least be a reason to stop and think for a moment before demonising the wealthy and treating them like cash cows in the way that the current Labour set up seems to want to do.

Tax avoidance is often painted as being the preserve of the rich and I would agree that it is very hard for someone who is on PAYE to avoid what is due. The 'black economy' is spread across society, however. Only yesterday, I had some dealings with a gentleman who was running a car repair business from his (Social Housing) home, whilst claiming Universal Credit and also engaging in a somewhat more lucrative and serous illegal activity. HMRC confirmed that he hadn't paid a penny in tax for over six years. I was offered a 'cash price' by a heating engineer a couple of years ago.

People don't like paying tax, but as I pointed out a few days ago, it if costs £1 or more to recover £1 in avoided tax, then enforcing against tax dodgers isn't a way of paying for public services.