Where does your tax go?

Former_MSE_Andrea

Poll Title: Poll started 1 Dec: Where does your tax go? The following are some main sectors of UK Government spending. Which do you think has the most spent on it? (full answers in next week’s Money Tips Email)

Defence
Education
Government Debt Interest
Health
Overseas Aid
Police & Public order
Social Security & Tax Credits

Vote here or click reply to discuss

NOTE FROM MARTIN: Please don't give the game away if you KNOW the Answer

Do feel free to discuss this but if you KNOW the answer (or have looked it up) please don't give the game away until the poll is done; I think it is fascinating to see where people think their cash goes.

lynzpower

you missed off external consultation, restructuring and audit

Which would get my vote

hopefulfooluk

I wouldn't be surprised if it was interest charged on the ridiculous amount of debt the country is in. Got to run into the billions.

Former_MSE_Natasha

Poll started 1 Dec: Where does your tax go? The following are some main sectors of UK Government spending. Which do you think has the most spent on it?

Social Security & Tax Credits - 28.7% (393 Votes)
Defence - 22.6% (309 Votes)
Health - 21.8% (300 Votes)
Government Debt Interest - 20.2% (277 Votes)
Education - 2.9% (40 Votes)
Overseas Aid - 2.6% (35 Votes)
Police & Public Order - 1.2% (16 Votes)

Total Votes: 1370

Thanks to all who voted

Below is the official Government spending allocation as sourced from the IFS Green Budget 2006:

Social Security & Tax Credits - £136.6 billion
Health - £81.5 billion
Education - £63.3 billion
Police & Public Order - £28.7 billion
Defence - £28.2 billion
Government Debt - £24.5 billion
Overseas Aid - £4.1 billion

martinpike

Any chance of a comparison to some previous years numbers?

pioneer31

THE DSS bill is FAR, FAR too big. I remember years and years ago hearing that it dwarfed everything else.

lesinge2k

It's a kick in the guts that I work hard, so that the government can hand out cash to those too lazy to find a job...

al_yrpal

Where does OUR money go? How much tax do you actually pay? Not many people have any idea....

Sit down in a quiet place and write down how much tax you personally pay. Start with income tax, council tax, tax on petrol, tax on water, heating, electricity, phone calls, flights, insurance, alcohol, car tax and then reckon that on most of the residue of your income you will be paying VAT at 17.5%. Have a look at the rates. You will be shocked at just how little of your income you get to spend on yourself and how much of your money you are handing over to the Government to spend.

Then, just imagine for a moment that you are a person not interested in work, living on benefit claiming housing benefit. Just how much tax do you pay then?

My opinion is that:-

We pay too much tax
The government doesn't spend it too well
A lot of people sometimes need state financial help, but, there are too many scroungers.
We, the people should decide on spending priorities more.

In America everyone has to pay national taxes once a year. They have to fill in a tax return and send off the money. When they shop the price is indicated without tax, which is added at the till. Americans are thus more aware of how much of their income is actually going in tax.

In parts of America I think there is also a rule where people can only stay on benefit for 3 years. After that, they have to get themselves sorted.

I think we are tax wimps in Britain, our system encourages scroungers and hard working energetic people increasingly support an undeserving underclass. How can we get back on the right track?

pioneer31

Let's not forget the Quango Bill - Well over £100 Billion.

Quango's being unelected committees who get paid handsomely for deciding what kind of soup will be served at Tony Balir's next 'bash'.

There was once a lady/dame/tart, whatever, who sat on 32 of these committee's.

Jobs for the boys eh?

pioneer31

al_yrpal wrote:

Where does OUR money go? How much tax do you actually pay? Not many people have any idea....

Sit down in a quiet place and write down how much tax you personally pay. Start with income tax, council tax, tax on petrol, tax on water, heating, electricity, phone calls, flights, insurance, alcohol, car tax and then reckon that on most of the residue of your income you will be paying VAT at 17.5%. Have a look at the rates. You will be shocked at just how little of your income you get to spend on yourself and how much of your money you are handing over to the Government to spend.

Then, just imagine for a moment that you are a person not interested in work, living on benefit claiming housing benefit. Just how much tax do you pay then?

My opinion is that:-

We pay too much tax
The government doesn't spend it too well
A lot of people sometimes need state financial help, but, there are too many scroungers.
We, the people should decide on spending priorities more.

In America everyone has to pay national taxes once a year. They have to fill in a tax return and send off the money. When they shop the price is indicated without tax, which is added at the till. Americans are thus more aware of how much of their income is actually going in tax.

In parts of America I think there is also a rule where people can only stay on benefit for 3 years. After that, they have to get themselves sorted.

I think we are tax wimps in Britain, our system encourages scroungers and hard working energetic people increasingly support an undeserving underclass. How can we get back on the right track?

get rid of Labour for a start. All parties are at best useless but Labour were always the scrounger's friend.

Their core belief is to punish effort/enterprise.

jononetoe

General Jackson on the Today prog this morning said we have 550 billon coming into the exchequer-so were is the other 128 billion?