How can anyone afford.............?

Question

to have children?

They already cost nearly two hundred grand to raise, and they propose to tax parents for having more than two.....
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20071210/tod-australia-climate-warming-offbeat-7f81b96_1.html
is this green taxation gone mad?

edit

i know children can be expensive but i was interested in the green tax issue

we don't get tax benefits in UK but some families can claim working tax benefits, etc
It is interesting to note the tax differences in USA, UK and France

Thanks for your responses....they make interesting reading.

This is an Aussie proposal by the way.

Answer 1

Dont worry maid, they'll be taxing fresh air next... Oh Im sorry, no they cant can they ... Cos we aint got none!!
Before long they will be taxing you for walking on the cracks in the pavement / walking on the grass / looking up at the moon.... ... dont know where its gonna end....

Answer 2

That figure takes into account a load of crap that most parents don't need. They all count childcare when the majority of people use family or do it amongst themselves. Seriously you don't have to pay that much. My parents had 8 kids and my mum used to work doing evening work like ann summers and avon and my dad had a full time job. It meant my mum was at home during the day and we didn't even know she was gone at night for a few hours because we were asleep. If you want kids enough, they don't have to be too dear! It's the commercialism especially when you first have a child and you buy loads of stuff that you don't need! Apart from food, clothing and shelter all a child really needs is love and it's free!!

As for the tax, just be glad you're not living in China!!

Answer 3

There will always be a threshhold of taxation where you can say "This will stop people from having children."

For every child that is born, the State must provide some level of service (if nothing else, just paperwork). Indeed, it may be that in order for the children that are born to survive in a progressively more hostile environment, we have fewer children born and more money plowed back into infrastructure to try to beat back the effects of previous environmental misdeeds.

Though nobody likes to think of them (except maybe the Chinese government) - PEOPLE cause environmental strain. Having children is environmentally not a friendly thing to do.

It was inevitable that the two movements - to have children and to have a safe environment - would cross swords.

Answer 4

Great idea, not only from an environmental point of view.
I'm fed up with paying my taxes so other people can have kids, use free health, education and other public services to the maximum, only to watch them get paid for having kids in the form of tax-incentives & benefits. If you want kids you should budget for them, not expect everyone else to pay through their taxes. I can't remember the last time I was entitled to any benefit or subsidy... even my prescription charge costs more that the medicine on the rare occation I see my GP!
Roll-on compulsory pay-per-litre water metering, pay-per-Kg refuse collection, it's only fair. Dare I say Poll-tax!?

Answer 5

You should go to France. They near enough PAY you to have children. Seriously, the more kids you have the more in benefits you get just for having that child. This is because their birth rate is still going down so offering more money in benefits is almost an incentive.

Answer 6

Yeah but... I have one child. we on bread line and pretty skint. A member of my family has four and they get thousands a year with tax credits, child benefit and council tax benefit. We worked out we would be much better off with four kids because of the whole buy one for one and share with the rest! Its biased towards families with more than one child. I mean why should you get more council tax benefit becuase you have two children when one child still needs a room, bed and clothes and with two you can share (unless you have twins - and then you are scre***d)!

Answer 7

Well it is expensive to raise kids... however... its worth it. And you can be frugal with your money... don't buy everything in sight for them.. .have them find a way to pay for their own college (military, scholarships, grants, loans etc). I do not agree with taxing people for having kids... that is ridiculous.. they need to figure out a way to make public transportation more accessible... better incentives for going green etc... they shouldn't punish people for wanting a big family. If there are better incentives... people would try harder to go green. Businesses need to focus on how to make more energy efficient and environment friendly products.... less packaging on products etc.... NO MORE BOTTLED WATER... lol

Answer 8

We have 4 kids. I work all day, my hubby works nights. we dont go out drinking,mainly cos of gettin a reliable baby sitter.We still get quite a bit of money in workin tax, child tax credits & child benefit.The gov'ment says we dont earn enough to live on. If they're givin it away,I'm takin it.

Answer 9

I ask the same question. At this moment i can only afford to take care of myself. I don't have room for children right now. Maybe in a few years or so

Answer 10

When i was single i thought the same thing.
Then came along my son.
Hes 9yrs now and im still going strong (even though he doesnt live with me )
I also have a 1yr old (same situation ) and still coping.
You will be suprised how you get by and pay for things :-)
Lifes a big pain in the ar*se but keep going and enjoy every day as it comes :-))
P.S. ive enjoyed mine more so with being a DAD :-))