Does the government really believe it's taxation polcies are fair?

Question

For example: Let's say I buy a new car. I will be taxed on the purchase price, taxed to put it on the road, taxed on the insurance, taxed on the servicing and (most highly) taxed on the fuel. After 3 years I'll be taxed on the MOT and any repairs in order to keep in on the road (the priveledge I am be taxed on). Oh and lets not forget, they tax us on the salary we are paid; so we have less money to pay the other taxes on everything else. Then Brown has the nerve to say if he cuts one tax 'Petrol' must go up; he's just bullying the country into having his own way.

Answer 1

the British government is a parasite bleeding it's people dry

Answer 2

two things in life are certain death and taxes - I just hope I go before old gordon brown or else we'll have a gate tax when we arrrive at the pearly gates!!!!!

Just read Voltaire's response. The word you were looking for when you were babbling on about not doing something to commit an offenceis an ommission, and yes there are offences that can be made by ommiting to do something - for example failing to stop after an accident. Also just wanted to tell you that over here the government uses taxation to tell us all how we should live - they don't want you to smoke they tax the hell out of cigarettes, they don't want you to drink they tax the hell out of booze and so on. The problem is that they become reliant on the revenue generated through this and when people actually do what they are trying to encourage they need to get the cash from elsewhere and so they start taxing things twice. As an Inland revenue man you should know that on average after all taxes are paid, including V.A.T, NI contributions, Income tax, road tax etc etc. The average person only actually gets around twenty per cent of their total salary.

Answer 3

I work for a telephon company and the taxes on telecom is so heavy I am suprised there has not been a flat out revolt. Consider:

Federal Excise Tax- 3% on all services. First passed in 1899 to pay for the Spanish American War. Recently partly overturned due to the unconstitutional manner it was being administered.

Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge- Currently 10.5% of your long distance service, used to fund basic telephone service in mostly rural areas. The surcharge is itself subject to other taxes like sales taxes (it is a "surcharge" not a "tax" you see).

911 Surcharges- to fund emergency services. Some are as high as $3.50 per line.

Communications taxes by various states and localities can push the combined tax bill up to 40% of your total. The basis of the tax can be all charges, interstate only, intrastate only, on the monthly recurring fees but not o overages (thanks a lot, South Carolina), or on base network access alone. It is possible in some places to have as many as 20 different taxes on your phone bill.

Answer 4

The problem is, Brown and the rest of this government, are spending money like water.

They are POURING money into many different departments, without a thought for reform or accountability!!

The benefit system is being milked by everyone under the sun. Not least by the many immigrants into this country, who have never, and some will never, contribute to the tax system.

The NHS is being overloaded with more people than it can handle.....Health tourism being a factor here.

I could go on and on, but you get my point.

So yes, we are being taxed to the hilt, and it will continue, until the people in this country wake up, and get rid of this lot now.

Answer 5

It is not very useful to complain about taxes this way. Nobody likes to see that $200 has disappeared from his paycheck or to see that he's paid $114 for something with a price tag of $99. But the things we need to enquire into are not taxes themselves (as they come from us), but what the government revenue is used for. The government entities wasting revenue means, of course, higher taxes. This is where our eyes should be - on how the money is spent. Money wisely and responsibly spent is not a problem. (I personally am concerned about the complicatedness of the tax system, and its unjust, tyrannical structure: a citizen is guilty of an offense in NOT filing his/her taxes. Everywhere else in our concept of justice you're guilty only by COMMITTING an offense, not by NOT committing it.)

Answer 6

The government doesn't believe for one minute their tax policies are fair but, they have to raise money and the easiest way to do this is to find a large group of people (the larger the better) who rely on something whether it be transport, tobacco or alcohol and then tax it. Their take on it is if you don't like the tax don't use it. Fairness doesn't come into it the motorist like the other groups I mentioned are simply easier to hit.

Answer 7

"Tax" and "Fair" don't belong in the same sentence. You're obviously UK. In Ireland, to buy a new car, you take the price of the car, add the vehicle registration tax typically 25%. Now tax the whole thing again with VAT at 21%. They tax the car first. Then they tax the car and the tax.

Answer 8

There is really only unfair tax in this country and that is VAT, it hits the pocket of rich and poor at the same value 17.5% of what ever you spend.
This government managed to reverse part of what Maggy did to fuel, It is a shame the EU won't allow it to be zero (it stands at 5%)

Answer 9

i don't really know but i think its not fair specially for someone who does not live in the USA, why do i have to pay tax when i buy something from the USA and i don't live there.. i don't even have to pay tax in my country... there should be a tax refund for people who shop on line from the USA

Answer 10

The problem with your question is that people will complain if these taxes are taken away. If we were to take away all these taxes, there'd be no money left for schools, police, fire-fighters, libraries, soldiers, etc.

Answer 11

It thinks its tax policys are the most it can get away with