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> If they think they're being taxed too much, they can move themselves and their business somewhere with lower tax rates A different way of looking at it would

> If they think they're being taxed too much, they can move themselves and their business somewhere with lower tax rates A different way of looking at it would be if they did move themselves and their businesses then we'd be in a worse position than with how they are now. We'd get zero benefit from the business being located in the UK and also we'd also collect less tax. I can clearly see how the lack of fairness can be taken, but implementing your suggestion would be much worse.

vidarh 8y ago
If too many people leave, it would be a sign that the tax system truly is unfair to these people, and in fact this is a regular part of the discourse on tax levels in most countries. My point is that most places have a tax system that is the way it is exactly because it strikes a balance where most people are still willing to live there when they earn a lot without evading taxes. That some decide they don't want to leave, but don't want to pay their taxes either, then does not get much sympathy from me. > I can clearly see how the lack of fairness can be taken, but implementing your suggestion would be much worse. My only "suggestion" is to actually enforce the law and expect people to pay the tax that they are legally required to pay, and if someone don't want to pay the tax rate they're actually obliged to pay, then they should leave. If that causes too many people to leave, then there's a debate to be had about tax levels. But what is truly unfair is to have some people pay their full tax bills while others evade them.
ionised 8y ago
How would we be worse off if these guys aren't paying their taxes in the first place?
- Steve44 8y ago
  Because they are paying a lot of tax in real terms, also remember there is a lot more to tax than just income or corporation taxes. The 'not paying any tax' meme is grossly oversimplified and misleading IMHO. For example if they buy a £5,000 jacket in the UK then £1,000 of that is collected as VAT. If they live & shop elsewhere we don't get that revenue in the shops nor do we collect that VAT. As a percentage they generally find ways of paying less but it will still be a substantial tax revenue.
  - jonhendry18 8y ago
    They probably find ways to buy the jacket without paying VAT.
  - merinowool 8y ago
    I think great number of people who use those services can't afford 5 grand jacket. I am talking about people making 100-200k a year. They are really anally violated by taxes.
    - vidarh 8y ago
      I earn in that range, and I'm certainly not "really anally violated" by taxes. In fact, I pay a lower percentage tax now than I did when I earned 80k, as the combination of higher pension contributions and other legal ways of reducing tax has a higher impact for high earners than for most lower earners. Overall, I look at my neighbours who earn less combined than I earn alone, and they're far worse affected than I am by taxes despite paying far less.
      - merinowool 8y ago
        You see, you also have tax arrangements to pay less. Sounds a bit hypocritical...
        vidarh 8y ago
        Hypocritical how? I've pointed out exactly that taxes in that income bracket are in fact unfairly low. I consistently vote to redress that. You're the one claiming that people at my income level are paying so much we're "anally violated", when the reality is that our tax burden is quite insignificant.

vidarh 8y ago

If too many people leave, it would be a sign that the tax system truly is unfair to these people, and in fact this is a regular part of the discourse on tax levels in most countries. My point is that most places have a tax system that is the way it is exactly because it strikes a balance where most people are still willing to live there when they earn a lot without evading taxes. That some decide they don't want to leave, but don't want to pay their taxes either, then does not get much sympathy from me. > I can clearly see how the lack of fairness can be taken, but implementing your suggestion would be much worse. My only "suggestion" is to actually enforce the law and expect people to pay the tax that they are legally required to pay, and if someone don't want to pay the tax rate they're actually obliged to pay, then they should leave. If that causes too many people to leave, then there's a debate to be had about tax levels. But what is truly unfair is to have some people pay their full tax bills while others evade them.

ionised 8y ago

How would we be worse off if these guys aren't paying their taxes in the first place?

Steve44 8y ago
Because they are paying a lot of tax in real terms, also remember there is a lot more to tax than just income or corporation taxes. The 'not paying any tax' meme is grossly oversimplified and misleading IMHO. For example if they buy a £5,000 jacket in the UK then £1,000 of that is collected as VAT. If they live & shop elsewhere we don't get that revenue in the shops nor do we collect that VAT. As a percentage they generally find ways of paying less but it will still be a substantial tax revenue.
- jonhendry18 8y ago
  They probably find ways to buy the jacket without paying VAT.
- merinowool 8y ago
  I think great number of people who use those services can't afford 5 grand jacket. I am talking about people making 100-200k a year. They are really anally violated by taxes.
  - vidarh 8y ago
    I earn in that range, and I'm certainly not "really anally violated" by taxes. In fact, I pay a lower percentage tax now than I did when I earned 80k, as the combination of higher pension contributions and other legal ways of reducing tax has a higher impact for high earners than for most lower earners. Overall, I look at my neighbours who earn less combined than I earn alone, and they're far worse affected than I am by taxes despite paying far less.
    - merinowool 8y ago
      You see, you also have tax arrangements to pay less. Sounds a bit hypocritical...
      - vidarh 8y ago
        Hypocritical how? I've pointed out exactly that taxes in that income bracket are in fact unfairly low. I consistently vote to redress that. You're the one claiming that people at my income level are paying so much we're "anally violated", when the reality is that our tax burden is quite insignificant.