4 ms·

Does the UK queen pay taxes in the UK? I'm pretty sure the royal family was exempt at one point, but I haven't followed it for a long time. I think they actua

Does the UK queen pay taxes in the UK? I'm pretty sure the royal family was exempt at one point, but I haven't followed it for a long time. I think they actually receive funds from the tax payer.

jhayward 8y ago
She voluntarily pays taxes on her personal income, although as Sovereign she is constitutionally exempt. She also donates all of the income from Crown holdings to government, as I recall. Most of the complainers about the royal family being taxpayer supported don't realize what a bargain the UK gets, they make a lot of money from HMTQ.
- jacobush 8y ago
  Although I expect some of them complain because they want the whole institution of monarchy abolished. Personally, I find it quite interesting how several European monarchies within themselves managed to "strike a bargain" between old vested interests (the Crown) and commoners such that probably revolution was averted - and that this "power balance" lives on to this day.
- bmer 8y ago
  Where are you getting this from? Here's an article, from a reputable news organization: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/28/royal-family-value-for-money-not-worth-tuppence https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/28/royal-... More recently: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/19/queen-spend-mushrooming-pay-revenue-estate https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/19/queen-...
  - jhayward 8y ago
    You would do far better to just read the well-source Wiki page [1] rather than a couple of opinion screeds from anti-monarchists. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_royal_family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_royal_...
    - bmer 8y ago
      Thanks for pointing me to well sourced wiki article, as it mostly confirms the couple of opinion screeds from anti-monarchists. See reference 5 (I'll assume you know where it comes up): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5123580.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5123580.stm, for what was happening before the Sovereign Grant Act. See then the article on the Sovereign Grant, which carefully mentions that the Sovereign Grant is just a small part of the total cost of the monarchy. Note also that the same article mentions that the Royal Family also has private income which is undisclosed, separate from the Sovereign Grant. Here's another article from a source without a conflict of interest, as provided by the wiki article you linked me to: https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/581000/Royal-family-financial-review https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/581000/Royal-family-fin... Note that: * the Royal Family was receiving increases in funding, when austerity measures were otherwise being implemented in the UK * the total annual cost of the Royal family is around £300m Russell Brand has a pretty good video on this shit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyj_9sIOPzU&t=235s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyj_9sIOPzU&t=235s But I bet you consider him to be just another one of these godless anti-monarchists...
      - charlesdm 8y ago
        I'm not particularly pro or against a monarchy, however, even IF the annual cost is £300m, I don't even get why it matters in the case of the UK? The Crown Estate owns £12bn worth of assets and returned £328m in 2016/17. As these assets (while held in trust and managed professionally) belong to the sovereign, they are self sustainable and have covered all expenses. If there would be no monarchy, it's not unlikely these assets would return to the royal family. Then look at the value a monarchy brings. In many parts of the world, a king or queen carries more respect than a president. They can help facilitate trade and form relationships that might otherwise not exist, because they're around for a long time as opposed to shorter term presidential thinking.
        bmer 8y ago
        If they are self-sustaining, why do they need handouts from the UK government? Especially in a time of austerity?

Does the UK queen pay taxes in the UK? I'm pretty sure the royal family was exempt at one point, but I haven't followed it for a long time. I think they actually receive funds from the tax payer.

jhayward 8y ago

She voluntarily pays taxes on her personal income, although as Sovereign she is constitutionally exempt. She also donates all of the income from Crown holdings to government, as I recall. Most of the complainers about the royal family being taxpayer supported don't realize what a bargain the UK gets, they make a lot of money from HMTQ.

jacobush 8y ago
Although I expect some of them complain because they want the whole institution of monarchy abolished. Personally, I find it quite interesting how several European monarchies within themselves managed to "strike a bargain" between old vested interests (the Crown) and commoners such that probably revolution was averted - and that this "power balance" lives on to this day.
bmer 8y ago
Where are you getting this from? Here's an article, from a reputable news organization: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/28/royal-family-value-for-money-not-worth-tuppence https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/28/royal-... More recently: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/19/queen-spend-mushrooming-pay-revenue-estate https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/19/queen-...
- jhayward 8y ago
  You would do far better to just read the well-source Wiki page [1] rather than a couple of opinion screeds from anti-monarchists. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_royal_family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_royal_...
  - bmer 8y ago
    Thanks for pointing me to well sourced wiki article, as it mostly confirms the couple of opinion screeds from anti-monarchists. See reference 5 (I'll assume you know where it comes up): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5123580.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5123580.stm, for what was happening before the Sovereign Grant Act. See then the article on the Sovereign Grant, which carefully mentions that the Sovereign Grant is just a small part of the total cost of the monarchy. Note also that the same article mentions that the Royal Family also has private income which is undisclosed, separate from the Sovereign Grant. Here's another article from a source without a conflict of interest, as provided by the wiki article you linked me to: https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/581000/Royal-family-financial-review https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/581000/Royal-family-fin... Note that: * the Royal Family was receiving increases in funding, when austerity measures were otherwise being implemented in the UK * the total annual cost of the Royal family is around £300m Russell Brand has a pretty good video on this shit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyj_9sIOPzU&t=235s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyj_9sIOPzU&t=235s But I bet you consider him to be just another one of these godless anti-monarchists...
    - charlesdm 8y ago
      I'm not particularly pro or against a monarchy, however, even IF the annual cost is £300m, I don't even get why it matters in the case of the UK? The Crown Estate owns £12bn worth of assets and returned £328m in 2016/17. As these assets (while held in trust and managed professionally) belong to the sovereign, they are self sustainable and have covered all expenses. If there would be no monarchy, it's not unlikely these assets would return to the royal family. Then look at the value a monarchy brings. In many parts of the world, a king or queen carries more respect than a president. They can help facilitate trade and form relationships that might otherwise not exist, because they're around for a long time as opposed to shorter term presidential thinking.
      - bmer 8y ago
        If they are self-sustaining, why do they need handouts from the UK government? Especially in a time of austerity?