We pay too much tax and NI?

Question

How come we pay so much tax and NI in the UK but not see much changes in the way of life and everything seems more expenisve each day?

also why is petrol so expensive?

Answer 1

when you say we pay too much tax, do you condiser what you actually get for your money? its a cradle to the grave system, you didnt pay in for the first 16 years, and fifty years later you stop paying... and you still get the services...

whats the options, an american system where everyone pays...and only the rich get treated... later in life youll probaly need some surgery..like a heart bypass, wher are you gong to find the £200,000 its going to cost, not only for the op, but al the ongoing treatements and tests...

ask your grandparent what it was like before the introduction of the NHS... and the welfare state. the system helps us in way we dont even consider, and someone has to pay for it...thats why the govt collect Ni and tax.

and as to your closing comment, no changes in the way of life..you must be really young. im 50, and the changes are very evident. just look around your house and count your possessions, then ask nan or grandad what they had when they were the same age.

for example, my grands never owned a car. nan had a copper to boil water in for washing..by hand of course. the bath hung on a nail in the outhouse.. and teh fire had to be cleaned and remade every day..no central heating, no hot water on tap, no double glazing or air conditioning.

the range and diversity of foodstuufs and goods available in the shops...even since the 1960's has exploded. and you cant see teh changes..open your eyes. our life of plenty and ease doesnt appear by magic... everyone pays in one way or another...

i'd like to know how much it costs to run teh country for a day... the big bottom line... and it must be millions..and its got to come from somewhere hasnt it..

Answer 2

Regarding petrol, the price of oil has increased significantly in recent times. But it is also very heavily taxed. Regarding Tax and NI, you could write a book on this. A large part of your taxes goes to pay for Public Sector services. Now the Public sector has no competition, so, over many years it has become increasingly wasteful and inefficient. It is bureaucratic, run by committees, unionised, resistant to change (inertia), also, it is riddled with political correctness, and all the other 'isms' and busies itself with social engineering exercises that are not needed by the taxpayer. I am including Town Halls (Council Tax) and the Civil Service. The Government recently caved in on making them retire at 65 like the private sector. The Pension cost is enormous.

Labour governments are always tax and spend governments. This government has increased the size of the public sector payroll by about 850,000 and that excludes Consultants.

It is a very big question, and I haven't even mentioned the huge increase in state benefits that are handed out to all sorts people, many not deserving. And don't forget the immigrants and the cost of the EU.

I have just read 'thebig toms' comments. He must be either a left winger, or a public sector worker who isn't prepared to admit how inefficient it is. What about the billions that has been pumped into the NHS recently with precious little effect. Some people simply are not interested in the truth.

Answer 3

Yep, we pay more tax than many countries, but (as a nation as a whole) we get more benefits. For example, most countries with lower taxes don't have an NHS or equivalent. Also I think the UK has more benefits for unemployed people/child benefits for parents etc.

Petrol is expensive because it is an easy way for the government to make money (with petrol tax). People object less to paying 30p more per litre of petrol than they would to paying £500 pe year more tax (Ok, I don't know if those figures add up, but it's the principle I was trying to get across). Also, as the government spends a lot of money maintaining roads, it makes sense for road users to pay for it (although not all petrol tax income is spent on highways).

Answer 4

about 80% of petrol is tax. the tax rate grow at inflation + 2% under the tories because they were able to justify it for environmental reasons. the arguement is that taxing petrol creates a dis-incentive to use cars, and encourages people to cycle etc., which isn't necessarily a bad idea.

we pay quite a bit less tax than most other European countries. about 20% goes on the NHS, a large chunk on schools, then there's roads to pay for, security, defence. we give people a safety net should they loose their jobs, we top up people's income if they have families and don't earn enough, we give all old people a pension.

I pay a lot of tax and get very little return (i don't claim benefit, I have private health insurance and I don't have kids), but i don't mind, because the state gives me security and I have a nice life.

Answer 5

The reason we pay so much tax is because almost half of the population is paid out of the public purse, directly or indirectly. How many do you know? And how many of them like answering to the public that pays them for what they do?

When your taxes have paid for doctors, nurses, policemen, firemen, teachers, MPs, judges, coroners, prison officers, social workers, planning officers, the armed forces, and all the other people you might possibly see or hear about from time to time, you've hardly scratched the surface. Then there are the almost numberless armies of bureaucrats that you never see. But, public sector employees aren't enough: contractors from the private sector are used by all levels of government to supply vast numbers of people, again out of your taxes, many of them highly paid "consultants" developing IT systems of dubious value. And they all like getting pay rises above the rate of inflation.

That's why so much of what you earn goes in tax, either before you get it, or when you spend it. Petrol is just a particular case, having a high level of duty (extra tax), rather like alcoholic drinks.

Answer 6

Because the government will do what they like as long as we are willing to put up with it. And we are paying for the lazy gits who are on the dole. No-one protests anymore. I remember when everyone protested against Poll Tax and they scrapped it. Yes I know it's Council Tax now but unless we all get together as a nation and protest for a decent standard of living instead of moaning about it behind closed doors it will only get worse.

Answer 7

Because their are plenty of lazy bastards in public and government departments sat on their arses or on the sick getting paid for doing very little, Air conditioning systems aren't cheap to run on buildings and company cars need replacing every 2 or 3 years.We all pay for it through taxes

Answer 8

The tax burden in UK is about average for the developed world. Slightly more than USA, but less than many Scandinavian countries.

Answer 9

A great deal of our money is paying the huge Benefit Bill,Salaries of civil Servants,and The EEC.

I agree we do not seem to see anything for our money.

The roads are not maintained,The streets are riddled with litter,The hospitals filthy, you cannot find a policeman,public transport is limited.etc etc

Answer 10

Public services have never been better, all of hard earned cash which we give to the government is worth it.

Petrol - maybe we ask Shell and BP why they need to make so much profit, wasn't it something like a million pound a second last year.