Is It Fair?

olly300

Poppycat wrote: »

Is it also fair for example that say two 3 adults (man and wife who pay) and there adult off spring doesn't pay anything yet they earn a good wage. Most of the council tax budget is paid for in education why shouldn't that wage earner pay a contribution as they benefited from education.

If you are retired, live in a 4 bedroom house on your own and have a personal pension and down the road Mrs X lives in the same size house and has a smaller pension is it fair that Mrs X pays the same amount as you?

Is it fair that 4 recent antipodean immigrants who work 12-13 hours a day and live in a 2 bedroom flat pay more than a Mrs X who is retired and lives on her own in her 4 bedroom house?

Most immigrants don't know what local services are around to use them and lots of antipodeans are fearful of losing their visas for any reason so do pay their taxes. Plus they haven't normally benefited from the UK education system unless it pays their wages.

Is it fair that Mr and Mrs Y with a 2 year old child who also live in a 2 bedroom flat pay the same as the 4 immigrants under the council tax? Or more than Mrs X under the poll tax?

moonrakerz

olly300 wrote: »

Most of the people who are complaining want to go back to the poll tax because they know it's a system that suits their own means and not their ability to pay. (My current circumstances should mean I support them.) To me for various reasons this system was unfair as the council tax/rates.

I am mystified by this expression "ability to pay" !

Why is it only used in relation to Local Taxation ? When you shop at Tesco, there is no question of your "ability to pay". Why should this question be raised when it comes to paying for local services ? I could be cynical and say it was invented by politicians hoping to scrape up a few more votes.

I will admit that our old age pensions in this country are poor, if they were set at a reasonable level, pensioners could afford to pay their own way.

The Poll tax WAS fairer - because everyone paid their way !

Ian_W

Fairness is an abstract concept and like beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder.

Poll tax wasn't fair to the single mum with no assets but sprogs to to educate and benefits to claim because she paid the same as the guy earning millions.
Council tax isn't fair on the pensioner with a big drum but a small income blah, blah, blah.
Local income tax isn't fair to those who already pay the most in tax.
Congestion charges aren't fair to the motorist.
It's not fair that smokers who pay £9 billion pounds in tax be denied the right to treatment on the NHS that they largely fund?

Life ain't fair - get used to it cos it's better than the alternative! Or as my old dad used to say, " there's no F in Justice!".

N9eav

Here is a stupid thing... or great thing for me. I have extended my home by almost 75%. They can't put up my council tax band. Some law says they don't unless it's sold and a new occupant lives here. They did not reband....thankfully. So I have a 5 bed house in band B. I am not complaining!!!!!!!!!:j

moonrakerz

N9eav wrote: »

Here is a stupid thing... or great thing for me. I have extended my home by almost 75%. They can't put up my council tax band. Some law says they don't unless it's sold and a new occupant lives here. They did not reband....thankfully. So I have a 5 bed house in band B. I am not complaining!!!!!!!!!:j

Not until they do the revaluation in England !

Curious_Moose

It's easy to construct cases where it is patently unfair for local income tax or a property tax. From a political point of view, the most important question is will the complaints of those who lose be more loud than the cheers of those who win. They probably will be. Safer to do nothing.