Reply to: The tax system explained in beer

[mudskipper]

KUATB

[SueEllen]

Tax should be a flat 20%. Simple and fair.

Only if the government changed the tax laws so everything was simple.

Unfortunately that would put a lot of lawyers and accountants out of business plus the firms some MPs have directorships in/"consult" for and also reduce the amount of people in HMRC needed.

[Robinho]

Tax should be a flat 20%. Simple and fair.

[moggy]

Good; I'll buy the crisps; that way I can ensure you continue to have a bit more money than me so I can scrounge beers off you!

sounds more than fair!

[Mich the Tester]

if i have more money than my mates i am happy to buy the beer.

You have more money than me and as of now I am your mate. Congratulations! Your round.

i draw the line at crisps tho!

Good; I'll buy the crisps; that way I can ensure you continue to have a bit more money than me so I can scrounge beers off you!

[BrilloPad]

But this is why the wealthy move to tax havens. Most I think would have no objection to paying ten or twenty percent tax. Where the problem arises in my opinion is that the people who take the risks, put their house on the line at times and work 80 hour weeks and become successful get rewarded with paying to keep the "work the bare minimum and happy to let others pull the load" brigade.

This is why I think a flat rate of tax would not only simplify the entire system but also generate more reveune for the treasury, the wealthy would feel less victimised and less inclined to piss off to Monaco. That to me is people paying their fair share of tax.

Most of the time they don't move - just their money. And often they don't work hard - they just have the right connections.

[Ketchup]

As the contract quality inspector at the ketchup factory says, 'always verify your sauces!'

Yes i do

[Mich the Tester]

Indeed and I like a twat forwarded it on previously without verifying the source.

As the contract quality inspector at the ketchup factory says, 'always verify your sauces!'

[BigTime]

It has been kicking around for years with slight variations

Indeed and I like a twat forwarded it on previously without verifying the source.

[geoff from contracta IOM]

This is bollocks. Do a search and you'll see he and the many other people this tale has been supposedly written by didn't provide any of its content.

It has been kicking around for years with slight variations

[BigTime]

..David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics...

This is bollocks. Do a search and you'll see he and the many other people this tale has been supposedly written by didn't provide any of its content.

[geoff from contracta IOM]

And that's where credibility was lost in the analogy.

I'm not suggesting that the richest should pay 59% of the tax bill for a county, but the way I see it, the minimum wage worker pays more as a percentage of tax than the richest guy, who pays nothing , or 10% tops.

But this is why the wealthy move to tax havens. Most I think would have no objection to paying ten or twenty percent tax. Where the problem arises in my opinion is that the people who take the risks, put their house on the line at times and work 80 hour weeks and become successful get rewarded with paying to keep the "work the bare minimum and happy to let others pull the load" brigade.

This is why I think a flat rate of tax would not only simplify the entire system but also generate more reveune for the treasury, the wealthy would feel less victimised and less inclined to piss off to Monaco. That to me is people paying their fair share of tax.

[Mich the Tester]

Alot of the rich appear to drink while contributing very little...

Well that's why they're rich innit. No-one got rich by giving it all away.

[Scoobos]

And the tenth man (the richest) would pay £59.

And that's where credibility was lost in the analogy.

I'm not suggesting that the richest should pay 59% of the tax bill for a county, but the way I see it, the minimum wage worker pays more as a percentage of tax than the richest guy, who pays nothing , or 10% tops.

[geoff from contracta IOM]

Alot of the rich appear to drink while contributing very little. Except to the drinkers in tax havens.

What exactly do they drink ?

You should probably also define contribute very little, if you mean in terms of income tax then I suspect you are right, if you mean contribution to the overall tax take of which income tax represents a small portion then I think you are wrong.