Minimum price on alcohol, Tax on fatty food.

rhext

Frank the tank wrote:

I pay my tax PAYE so no chance of not paying my dues, those who don't well, think of a number. I believe governments are always endevouring to extract more tax out of us, else there would just be income tax and that would be the end of it. They do try to amass a fund so come election time they give some of it back as an enticement.

As for cutting back on spending, that's a different debate.

So where is this fund? All this fuss about a deficit, and all we need to do is to find those coffers! And how can cutting back on spending possibly be a different debate? You've just fallen for the media b******t that invites us to believe that taxation and public expenditure are somehow separate. So it's OK to pour vitriol on goverments that raise tax and on governments that cut expenditure, because the two are magically independent. If you want services you have to levy tax - it really is as simple as that.

Frank the tank

rhext wrote:

Frank the tank wrote:

I pay my tax PAYE so no chance of not paying my dues, those who don't well, think of a number. I believe governments are always endevouring to extract more tax out of us, else there would just be income tax and that would be the end of it. They do try to amass a fund so come election time they give some of it back as an enticement.

As for cutting back on spending, that's a different debate.

So where is this fund? All this fuss about a deficit, and all we need to do is to find those coffers! And how can cutting back on spending possibly be a different debate? You've just fallen for the media b******t that invites us to believe that taxation and public expenditure are somehow separate. So it's OK to pour vitriol on goverments that raise tax and on governments that cut expenditure, because the two are magically independent. If you want services you have to levy tax - it really is as simple as that.

Where is the fund? It's called the exchequer.
Cutting back on spending/tax revenue of course there interelated I was just trying to keep on topic really, no need for the condescending attitude. we could get into the whole debate about the (un)fairness of the tax system but we've had that debate so many times on here.
Obviously if we want services we have to pay for them via our taxes, but, you tell me why is there not just income tax, I'll tell you, because you would only take home about 10% of what you earned now that would be popular with us all wouldn't it. Hence, a plethora of taxes. Taxed when you earn,save,spend,die,go on holiday,fill up your car,insure your car the list is endless. I pay my share, I only wish everyone else did before the government start inventing anymore stealth taxes for the masses.

rowlers

styxd wrote:

Rather than a tax on the food and alcohol, there should be a tax on how fat the person is. Perhaps a quarterly check up at a body fat centre. And its here that your body fat percentage is measured, the higher the value, the more tax you pay. Problem solved.

I wholeheartedly agree with a fat tax.

rhext

All I see is perfectly sensible use of the tax system to nudge people away from certain destructive behaviours. Millions of years of struggling for survival have programmed us to load up on fat and sugar whenver the opportunity presents. Now we can produce the stuff to order for pennies we find we have an obesity epidemic: it's cheaper to buy crisps than apples! I reckon it's a core part of the government's role to try to steer people away from over-consumption, which leads to expensive health problems and lack of contribution to society.

They can't use legislation, because we try to keep society as free as possible, but if they do nothing then we all end up paying the price. To me, jacking up the price is simply one tool which needs to be used (alongside many others) to nudge the population in the right direction. I don't believe that these exercises raise a significant amount of tax....especially the minimum alcohol pricing which is not actually a tax at all, although I'll admit they'll probably make a few quid from increased VAT returns. But even if they do raise a significant amount, as I pull yet another sliver of broken beer bottle from my bike tyres because a bunch of people in the town centre got so tanked up over the weekend that it seemed like a great idea to smash their empties on the bike paths again, all I can feel is 'at least they're charging them extra for the privilege'.

mingmong

Just brew your own!