How much better off are we?

[DaveB]

that's weird. judging from what i read on this board, i assumed that the UK must be the most highly taxed country in all of europe. don't tell me this isn't the case?

In terms of pure income taxes we are actually one of the lowest in Europe. Whether this holds true when you add in other taxes I'm not so sure.

Edit : This makes interesting reading if taxes are your thing.

World bank report on taxation globally

Uk Ranks 52nd out of 178 countries ( 1 being lowest overall tax burden, 178 being the highest). Our total tax burden is 37.5% by their calculations.

[Fred Bloggs]

(snipped) I am not saying that you are not better off, all I am saying is that people should look at their personal circumstances and not try and jump on the bandwagon, especially now that it's showing signs of slowdown. Likely to see a lot of desperate contractors pleading for an ever diminishing pool of pertmie jobs.

That's true. I have been in my industry for 35 years now. I am not going to be offered a senior staff role. 2 yars ago I went back to an ex employer (left them 15 years ago) as a contractor. I met a guy who I used to work with. We were on the same salary grade 15 years ago. I was shocked to find he was STILL on the same salary grade. His salary was £31k a year. He had been in that company over 30 years. There but for the grace of god go I, I thought to myself. I'm a lucky bloke, but I've made my own luck and I've taken risks. I could take a year with zero work and maintain my lifestyle but before it got to that I would have to take a low paid permatazoa type role just to keep in work on my CV. Nobody likes anyone with a several month gap on the CV.

Luckily, I think I have another 11 months ahead on this job.

[TheBigYinJames]

permatazoa

[expat]

that's weird. judging from what i read on this board, i assumed that the UK must be the most highly taxed country in all of europe. don't tell me this isn't the case?

Don't believe everything you read on this board

Switzerland for a start.

Actually Netherlands too, when you factor in the 30% rule: that means that the Dutch taxman lets you have 30% of your income tax-free (but then nothing is deductible). It doesn't mean that the UK taxman will do the same.

[shoes]

For me there's a large difference, I am one of those in a technical role who if perm would be on around the 35k mark. In my market I can get 350 to 400 a day. In a perm role I would be living basically hand to mouth each month. In a contract every month I invoice for makes me over twice the take home of the permie 35k one. To me that means for every month working I can take a month off and still not be worse off than I was as a permie.

I have none of the permie bull that other people have mentioned here and I take months off between contracts. I am also respected by those in the 'higher' positions at my client sites versus being looked on as a skivvy to talk down to if I were doing a similar role as a permie.

No comparison. I'll be living rough on the streets before I consider a permie role again. I feel really sorry for the poor permie saps in technical roles I meet at my client sites, they are all so unhappy. Not for me.

[Fred Bloggs]

Exactly what shoes said. When I went back to an ex employer after a 14 year gap, I was asked to do work (and was respected for doing it) that the company specifically ruled me out of when I was a permie there. My rate was about 2.5 times what the grade was paying had I still been permie there, plus I had the freedom to come and go as I liked and never had to work loads of the unpaid overtime that was "expected" of an employee.