How you feel about taxes

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Taxes annoy me, but as long as they're used properly, I don't mind too much.

...Of course, they're NEVER used properly. -_- And that really aggravates me.

Also, retirement money should NOT be taxed. Taxing your pension and RRSP money is just...just...WRONG! I mean, at that point, you're not earning more money, but rather living off of what you have saved up! It's not new money coming in!

Whoever thought it was right to tax that is an asshole.

 

[Kordie]

Canadian point of view here.
I agree with taxes in principal. Giving back to the government makes sense to me, it sucks when you see how much of your earnings they take, but I believe on the whole its being put to good use (Health care, public schools, police...) However, I have two gripes that can almost make the whole system not worth it.
The first, is when I see tax money being wasted on rediculous programs. Second is seeing unfair tax laws that allow corporations, or high income people to get away with paying much less than others. The tax gap in canada is not as bad as other places from what I have heard, but it is growing. Fix those two issues (good luck to that) and it would be a lot closer to an ideal system.

I live in Canada and my parents pay 48% on every cent they make over 104,000

So explain how they are "getting away" with paying less tax than others.

My family belongs in the same boat as yours, we are not getting away with anything. Having said that, there are people who use corporate tax laws and out of country banks to hide income and pay less taxes. The problem is not with normal people, its with people who use loopholes and other tactics to pay less. The problem exists on the other end as well with people who work just enough to claim EI. Hell, I've seen people with 6 figure incomes go to the food bank every holiday just cause they dont like paying for things.

The main point is people screwing the system, well, screws the system. And it makes the effort honest people put in feel wasted.

 

[Pipotchi]

Dont mind tax too much, me and my girlfriend earn a high joint salary and probably lose about 35% from the source before VAT etc.

But then we have free healthcare, we had free education and so on. Luckily spread betting is counting as gambling so I dont pay tax on that.

But companies like Google and Amazon that use shell companies in places like Luxembourg can fuck right off, or at least not act all noble when they announce 100 apprentices or whatever

 

[5ilver]

Pointless and outdated, same as the legal system and even money.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

If you earn 41k a year, you pay 40% income tax. If you earn 38k a year, you pay 20%...
That's just broken because a person at 38K actually take home more money than the person who worked slightly harder for 41k annum.

No we are not. That isnt how it works at all.

What happens is that the 38K is taxed at 20% (the first 10k i think isnt taxed at all) and then any EXTRA income ABOVE 41K is taxed 40%. Your scenario cannot happen and doesnt make any sense. The tax we use in the UK doesnt work like that. I have no idea where you people keep hearing this. So many hold this opinion. Where does it originate?

Pointless and outdated, same as the legal system and even money.

Outdated compared to what? A system can only be outdated when a new shinier one has already come to make it obsolete. Nothing is outdated if nothing is proved to work better than it.

But amuse me. Suggest a system that has no legal system and money. That works. Then explain why you can apply it to a global economy and watch it work.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

How many times do I need to say that they are the most fair. I am going off of what My Economics teacher said, and he was supportive of them as well, because they are fair....if done right. If done wrong, they are regressive, yes, but by definition, a Flat tax should be FLAT and affect everyone EXACTLY the same.

But a dollar is worth a dollar right? It should be worth the same to a man with 3 dollars already and a man with a billion. But it isnt. And thats why flat tax falls down. By definition the value of one dollar is a single dollar, the same for rich and poor. Yet the true value of it differs from person to person. The value of money differs like that. And therein lies the inherent flaw of flat tax. You cant tax a system that affects everyone "fairly" if the currency is worth more to some than it is to others.

 

[Kroxile]

I'm generally pleased to pay my taxes.

It means my gf's little sisters can go to school. It means people with no means financially to go to college be able to do so. It means roads get built and repaired.

The only problem I have with taxes is that they still go toward America's VASTLY overbloated military first and foremost and those that game the welfare system by having a whole litter of children with no intention of ever even trying to better themselves.

 

[Yopaz]

When we add up all the taxes here I think they figured that about 80% of our money goes to taxes, though indirectly. Normal taxes range from 30 to 40% and the maximum is 49%. Then food gets 8% taxes and other things get 25%.

That is money that goes to maintain the country, to provide health care, to maintain roads, to maintain prisons, education and such. Some of the money goes to purposes I don't think it should go to, and in some cases some institutions don't get enough. There's nothing wrong with taxes just because the spending might be skewed at times. A country needs money to maintain a certain life standard for the people. I want to live in a country where you can call an ambulance and have them arrive without the need to check your credit history before they decide if they should do something about it or not.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Haven't had to go through all the BS quite yet, but I'm just wishing they'd take my bloody cash before they gave it to me. False hope is a cruel thing.

 

[Shivarage]

If you think of all of the tax money that goes in, they must be squandering a hell of a lot as we still have a deficit problem.

Pretty much this, have you SEEN the stuff that was revealed in the expenses scandal? and that was only the ones who were caught out

Not to mention how funny it is that it's we who pay the taxes of the businesses as their source of income

captcha: general tso - no idea what that is???

 

[Trippy Turtle]

I often wonder if it wouldn't have been better to live in a small tribe somewhere. You would have to do everything yourself but at least you don't have to pay for every little thing you don't want.

 

[Commissar Sae]

Canadian fun tax fact... Our income tax was introduced as a temporary measure to help fund world war 1. Must have been a really expensive war to still be paying it

Seriously, especially since it started out as a 1% flat tax and income tax is now roughly 25% (here in Quebec anyway, but we have higher provincial taxes than most provinces so that doesn't help)

OT:I'm alright with the idea of taxes in principal, but both the federal and provincial governments currently in power have a habit of grossly misusing public funds on pet projects that don't really help the province/country all that much. (see Plan Nord and Fighter jets)

 

[Eamar]

I think they're a necessary evil, but there comes a point when you're taking the piss.

As a Brit, I am incredibly grateful for the existence of the NHS, for example, and so I will gladly pay tax (once I actually graduate and start earning money, of course).

HOWEVER, if you're taking 50% of someone's earnings in income tax, you've gone too far in my opinion. Regardless of how much they earn. More than 50%, and some people do advocate that for the highest earners, is just plain wrong. I can't really explain it, it just seems off to me.

 

[Eamar]

Yeah i applogise stagnant. I just get really twitchy about MPs and all that and spoke out of my arse. I don't read the Daily Mail though don't trust the press much either with there scaremongering and all that.

Apology accepted.

Sorry to butt in, but I just wanted to point out the the "noses in the trough" comment was most likely borne out of a pretty widespread resentment towards MPs at the moment, which isn't all groundless. I don't know if it was publicised outside the UK, but we had this massive "expenses scandal" starting in 2009 (wow, was it really that long ago?) when it turned out that MPs had been claiming all sorts of frivolous, unjustified and sometimes plain outrageous things on expenses ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_parliamentary_expenses_scandal ). Several MPs faced criminal charges and were imprisoned.

People are understandably still wary of trusting MPs after that.

 

[WoahDan]

" I love taxes, with them I buy civilisation"-I forget who

I know it is easy to forget this, but your taxes are not a complete waste of money, damn near everything worthwhile in the world ultimately stems from taxes, even if your ridiculously rich and feel that you don't depend on anyone else for everything never forget that if you did not pay taxes we would simply end up in a French Revolution type situation where the poor simply take what they want from you. Taxes are like the dentist, it sucks and no-one likes doing it but ultimately it is what is best for you.

 

[madmatt]

I don't mind contributing, but when you contribute so much and hear how the country is still struggling it makes it feel useless.

In my honest opinion, lowering taxes would benefit the entire country. Lower taxes = lower prices = higher product demand = bigger workforces required to meet demand = more people paying taxes/not claiming jobseekers = more taxes to spend on police force = decreasiong drugs trade = less money being sent abroad = higher GDP = more money for construction = more people in work = more affordable housing = less people claiming housing benefits and so on

This is what I would like to see, but I don't think Mr Cameron undersrands that you can only wring a sponge out so much before you need to dip it in water again.

Or perhaps?

Higher taxes = Higher public Spending = Better educated and equipped workforce = Higher productivity and innovation/ingenuity = more jobs = higher product demand = bigger workforces required to meet demand = more people paying taxes/not claiming jobseekers = more taxes to spend on police force = decreasiong drugs trade = less money being sent abroad = higher GDP = more money for construction = more people in work = more affordable housing = less people claiming housing benefits

Depends on your perspective.

I personally feel overwhelmed with them.

Everybody hates tax (and I especially hate council tax and paying the same amount as people who earn much, much more than me), but the question isn't a choice of paying tax or paying nothing. The question is "would I pay more in other ways if taxation didn't exist/ was vastly reduced?" I.e. on private education, private health care, road tolls, etc etc, would you pay more through paying for the services on your own, especially early in life, or not? (taking out the moral/community mutual-aid arguments and looking at it purely on economics)

The evidence is hotly disputed.

 

[Reiper]

Canadian point of view here.
I agree with taxes in principal. Giving back to the government makes sense to me, it sucks when you see how much of your earnings they take, but I believe on the whole its being put to good use (Health care, public schools, police...) However, I have two gripes that can almost make the whole system not worth it.
The first, is when I see tax money being wasted on rediculous programs. Second is seeing unfair tax laws that allow corporations, or high income people to get away with paying much less than others. The tax gap in canada is not as bad as other places from what I have heard, but it is growing. Fix those two issues (good luck to that) and it would be a lot closer to an ideal system.

I live in Canada and my parents pay 48% on every cent they make over 104,000

So explain how they are "getting away" with paying less tax than others.

My family belongs in the same boat as yours, we are not getting away with anything. Having said that, there are people who use corporate tax laws and out of country banks to hide income and pay less taxes. The problem is not with normal people, its with people who use loopholes and other tactics to pay less. The problem exists on the other end as well with people who work just enough to claim EI. Hell, I've seen people with 6 figure incomes go to the food bank every holiday just cause they dont like paying for things.

The main point is people screwing the system, well, screws the system. And it makes the effort honest people put in feel wasted.

I would not have as much of an issue with paying taxes if I didn't see government being so corrupt, bureaucratic and costly. There is no accountability for how our money is spent (with the exception of elections of course). Sure the auditor general will raise people into a frenzy for a while, but at the end of the day, our money is wasted on red tape and outrageous government expenses. Heck our MPs make 157,000 a year, and after 6 years I believe it is, they get an outrageously good pension. I don't know how it would be implemented, but I feel there should be some body that monitors and has the power to control government expenses. Or at least laws that cap salaries in the public sector at a certain point, and then have them only increase with inflation (ironic though, to fight spending bureaucracy with more bureaucracy).

This forum seems to have an anti-business side to it, but one thing I will say about businesses is that they have to be efficient. If they are not, they collapse and lose money. Not the government, it can be as inefficient as it wants, since it has guaranteed streams of revenue that it keeps coming with its "legitimate" monopoly on coercion.