The Rich are taxed too much!

In my opinion it's the lower middle class that really get hit hard by taxes and the economy. My parents both work, my mum works 6 nights a week 14 hour shifts and looses about 200 a week to taxes. My stepdad drives lorries all over Europe and can be gone for weeks and weeks at a time. We still live in a house too small for us and have two basic cars. They still can't afford to fund me at university and I'm saving up myself. But Combined they loose about 10-15,000 in taxes.

But if you think about it, there are people all over the world suffering and we are just lucky to have the basic necessities we take for granted.

Oliver spends 100% of his income per week on living, breathing, drinking and basically surviving. He will pay hundreds of taxes from tax on food, travel, energy etc.

Since the poor need to spend all of their income to live they will always pay a higher proportion of their income towards tax. This will only cease till society becomes more fair, inclusive and doesn't waste human potential.

Food - 0%
Housing - 0%
Travel - 0% (bus' and trains, not taxis)
Energy - 5%

So how is Oliver spending 'hundreds'? All those taxi journies?

So your mum is on £40k
And your dad on £20k or so.

I'm suprised on tax home pay of £45k combined they can only afford basic necessities.

Then again, you seem to think two cars are count as those

If you vote for capitalist parties and get capitalist policies you're in no position to moan. Only socialism will help combat inequality. Capitalism helps inequality to manifest because capitalism breeds greed. When greedy people get rich they want to keep it all. They're greedy after all. Most develop the old 'I earned it. Its mine' attitude.

Whilst capitalism is around there will always be mass inequality. Its in their economic interests to keep those at the bottom because by doing so they have a work force as opposed to competition. Competition isn't good for profits. The whole system is set up to favour the rich.

People are deluding themselves if they think its going to change any time soon and if you vote for a capitalist supporting party you're indirectly supporting that inequality that comes as part of it.

I agree, however I hope you're not suggesting people vote Labour, who are in effect a neoliberal red tory party.... Inequality increased massively in the years 1997-2010.

Problem is, the 'left of centre' in this country (i.e. Labour) are unfortunately well on the right. The alternative? Well, I vote green...

Depends where you live. If you live in London most of your pay is going on Rent. I think one should 1st deduct housing costs per year then look at net spare income.

Travel = Fuel Duty/Road Tax.

Just because a person doesn't pay for the fuel at the pump doesn't mean that it isn't part of their tax contribution.

Housing = Utility Bills with Green Taxes.

Again the Government has been making Energy companies cough up with the ECO levy. The energy company then increases prices to make up for the gap in profits.

Food = Import Tariffs, Energy Taxes and Corporation Tax which is added on when the food changes hands from Producer to Food Company to Wholesaler to Supermarket etc

Energy = Levys, Carbon Emissions Taxes, Climate change Taxes.

The list goes on.

In my opinion it's the lower middle class that really get hit hard by taxes and the economy. My parents both work, my mum works 6 nights a week 14 hour shifts and looses about 200 a week to taxes. My stepdad drives lorries all over Europe and can be gone for weeks and weeks at a time. We still live in a house too small for us and have two basic cars. They still can't afford to fund me at university and I'm saving up myself. But Combined they loose about 10-15,000 in taxes.

But if you think about it, there are people all over the world suffering and we are just lucky to have the basic necessities we take for granted.

OK, so other legal entities have to pay tax, rather than Oliver? A bit like suggesting my employees wage bill is very high because I employ the barman at the pub I go to and the ticket inspector on my train.

Remind me where Oliver gets his money...

I agree, however I hope you're not suggesting people vote Labour, who are in effect a neoliberal red tory party.... Inequality increased massively in the years 1997-2010.

Problem is, the 'left of centre' in this country (i.e. Labour) are unfortunately well on the right. The alternative? Well, I vote green...

You want to win the argument by pointing out the fictional guy is on benefits? Ah well since its fiction we can pimp Oliver into the working poor. He got a 30 hour per week job and now he is claiming Tax Credits. So he is a Scrounger-Striver now! He's gone up a rank.

Quady you have to think of it this way. We live in a world where we all use and consume goods and services. Some of these goods and services are taxed more than others. If the Poor spend 99.9% of their income and that money is spent on key things like Energy, Food and Gasoline the proportion of wealth contributed to tax will always be very high. It is an easy calculation.

Just for the past 5 years we have this mind set where we have been ignoring fact and treating those who proportionally give the least as hero's of the economy.

Sure if you want to play a numbers game the Rich will always come out on top. Hell we could slap each other in the face right now about who has more net-worth but we proportionally don't really give that much in tax as the poorest in society who spend 99.9% of their income each calender month.

Can't you understand this? Its Economics 101.

Its £42k - less than 15% of those in employment pay higher rate.

Its also a marginal rate, someone on £60k pays less than a third on
income tax/NI/council tax.

And pensions and other stuff is tax deductable.

well that must have been a recent change
and my parents were by no means rich when they were working - we live(d) in a bungalow on a street with a lot of small houses, and we still got the 40% tax - most people we knew lived in similar or bigger houses - why would we get taxed that high for a middle class lifestyle? almost half, I mean come on, maybe if you were earning many hundreds of thousands, perhaps, but not £42k~ (which my dad once earned)

Not really, it used to be higher (circa £44k) but has been reduced as the personal allowance has been risen so higher rate taxpayers didn't get the benefit.

Because you're in the top 15% of earners...?

I'll point out again, its nowhere near half, its a marginal rate, not on all your income.

it's almost as if you're *defending* the government taking this level of money from individuals

What rate should the top 10-15% of earners pay?

meh, I'm a low end higher rate taxpayer (aka 40% band) and feel pretty well off.

22% of my pay goes on national insurance and income tax, which doesn't seem too draconian.

What rate should the top 10-15% of earners pay?