Does one have a moral duty to Pay tax?

[AlfredJPruffock]

We have a moral obligation to make it as hard as possible for govt to take money from us until these people learn to use the money for the benefit of those who need it above all else.

Perhaps that is where we could learn from the French who detest 'les Impots' ie taxes - in France one is not immediately taxed via PAYE - rather they declare their earnings annualy subject to many generous tax deductions - and some dont bother to declare anything at all - you might find this odd but those who dont declare cannot benefit from France's excellent Social Welfare System.

Hence the lassez-faire approach ...

Think about it.

Ironically the UK tax system was founded on Wellington's need to fund his Napoleonic campaign - now if Napoleon had won - we wouldnt have an Income Tax system at all !


The tax is used to run istitutions that are run last and least for the benefit of those who need it.


Excellent point DA - now what about the multi-Billion Trident weapon upgrade - Billions of hard working UK tax payers awarded to mainly US companies - and what is the moral aspect of spending billiions to upgrade WMDs ?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

We have a moral obligation to make it as hard as possible for govt to take money from us until these people learn to use the money for the benefit of those who need it above all else.

Perhaps that is where we could learn from the French who detest 'les Impots' ie taxes - in France one is not immediately taxed via PAYE - rather they declare their earnings annualy subject to many generous tax deductions - and some dont bother to declare anything at all - you might find this odd but those who dont declare cannot benefit from France's excellent Social Welfare System.

Hence the lassez-faire approach ...

Think about it.

Ironically the UK tax system was founded on Wellington's need to fund his Napoleonic campaign - now if Napoleon had won - we wouldnt have an Income Tax system at all !

IIRC you can get sent to jail in France for working (or employing) "cash in hand" as well so I'm not sure it's quite the lassez-faire approach you refer to - it is also very much harder and more bureaucratic to set up your own business there - you can't just start like you can here,.

[AlfredJPruffock]

IIRC you can get sent to jail in France for working (or employing) "cash in hand" as well so I'm not sure it's quite the lassez-faire approach you refer to - it is also very much harder and more bureaucratic to set up your own business there - you can't just start like you can here,.

In principle yes but rarely in practice - again the State benefits as you (as probably an immigrant) cannot after a couple of years contributions then live with your offspring forever off generous State Benefits.

As for starting your business - its true in France it is more difficult - thank goodness they haven't heard of IR35 - eh ?

Finally, and again and again people fall foul of this one - the French make up rules - not to be complied with - but to navigate round.

you may find this odd - but there you have it.

[Platypus]

We fully deserve our tax breaks

I think you'll find that everyone has the same tax breaks.

You make it sound as though contractors get "special treatment" under the law which is "deserved". Wrong in both cases.

[AlfredJPruffock]

I think you'll find that everyone has the same tax breaks.

You make it sound as though contractors get "special treatment" under the law which is "deserved". Wrong in both cases.

Is that really the case ?

Take the case of Philip Green who effectively avoids millions of pounds worth of taxation by dint of putting the profits of his company into the care
of his wife - who just so appens to be resident in Monaco.

Green is a close friend of Pope Blair and his entourage.

NB Dont try this at home kids

[Platypus]

Take the case of Philip Green who effectively avoids millions of pounds worth of taxation by dint of putting the profits of his company into the care of his wife - who just so appens to be resident in Monaco.

Techncally you could do the same!

[ChimpMaster]

I think the majority of the population would be happy to pay taxes if it could be demonstrably proven that the funds were used wisely, without being wasted.

Our over-bloated government is adept at wasting money. They've been hiving off public assets and forcing through ever more elaborate methods of extracting taxation to cover up the fact that they have no idea about financial control.

Those least in intellect and greatest in ineptitude - work for the government.

[DodgyAgent]

We have a moral obligation to make it as hard as possible for govt to take money from us until these people learn to use the money for the benefit of those who need it above all else.

Perhaps that is where we could learn from the French who detest 'les Impots' ie taxes - in France one is not immediately taxed via PAYE - rather they declare their earnings annualy subject to many generous tax deductions - and some dont bother to declare anything at all - you might find this odd but those who dont declare cannot benefit from France's excellent Social Welfare System.

Hence the lassez-faire approach ...

Think about it.

Ironically the UK tax system was founded on Wellington's need to fund his Napoleonic campaign - now if Napoleon had won - we wouldnt have an Income Tax system at all !


The tax is used to run istitutions that are run last and least for the benefit of those who need it.


Excellent point DA - now what about the multi-Billion Trident weapon upgrade - Billions of hard working UK tax payers awarded to mainly US companies - and what is the moral aspect of spending billiions to upgrade WMDs ?

The morality is that if they are used and fail to explode then we would be entitled to ask questions about whether our taxes are being spent efficiently

[NotAllThere]

I am afraid that you are not all there. There may well be a moral duty to pay tax, but what you have expressed here is a legal duty, not a moral one.

By expressing it that way, I'm saying that the moral obligation is only the same as the moral obligation to obey the laws of the land.

Apparently it's really difficult to draft tax leglislation in such a way that it doesn't fall foul of laws against demanding money with menaces.

[OwlHoot]

The only morality issue that has any creedence in relation to tax revolves around what the state actually does with it. For too long we have been conned into believing that we somehow have some sort of moral duty to pay tax. What nonsense this is. We are spoofed into believing that tax goes to help the less fortunate than many of us whereas it actually goes first and foremost to enhacing the power and riches of those who dispose of it (jobs for labour voters). The tax is used to run istitutions that are run last and least for the benefit of those who need it.

We have a moral obligation to make it as hard as possible for govt to take money from us until these people learn to use the money for the benefit of those who need it above all else.

Well said Dodgy. You've hit the nail on the head!