Should the UK have Tax (and income) transparency

Mistermeaner

No - It is between me and my employer and would only lead to jealousy and crime

CLAPTON wrote: »

why would that be ?

Why wouldn't that be?

CLAPTON

Yes - it would help with evasion, benefits cheating and gender pay inequality

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Why wouldn't that be?

I can see no particular logic that says e.g. a teacher that works in the state sector should have their pay details made public but a teacher that works in the private sector should not.

I can see a logic that distinguishes between state benefits and employment although where e.g. child allowance fits in, is unclear.

HornetSaver

No - It is between me and my employer and would only lead to jealousy and crime

wotsthat wrote: »

I'd be interested in a system where an annual statement was sent out which detailed income, benefits received, tax paid and compared against my share of government spending. Just with a little note at the bottom for the 'I've paid in mob' to clarify that if the balance is negative then someone else has stepped in to pay their share or the government has borrowed.

If you are working full time, or indeed are retired but drawing a comfortable enough pension to pay tax, and the government confidentially tells you that for the previous tax year you were sponging off of the state, you are going to do two things:

1. Keep that information to yourself.
2. Vote for someone who won't accuse you of sponging off of the state.

chewmylegoff

Yes - it would help with evasion, benefits cheating and gender pay inequality

buglawton wrote: »

Norway has this ancient transparency ethic from Lutheran origins. Apparently, at one time people there weren't supposed to have curtains on their windows, to show they had nothing to hide. And all taxes paid were in an open book at the town hall by name (latterly online).

In a country like the UK where even mentioning your income to dinner guests is unseemly, can't see it happening. Would be transformational if it did happen of course. Let me see, all UK politicians, CEOs, local government bigwigs and benefit claimants to make public their income.
It's a good 'un.

MPs already do have to make all of their income public and the salaries paid to council chief executives is publicly available. The remuneration paid to CEOs of quoted companies is also public and for private companies you can get the accounts from companies house which will give you some details of directors pay.

Sapphire

Yes - it would help with evasion, benefits cheating and gender pay inequality

I voted yes. However, thinking about it having such details published next to actual names would be an abuse of privacy that could even put people in danger – for obvious reasons.

N1AK

No - It is between me and my employer and would only lead to jealousy and crime

chewmylegoff wrote: »

MPs already do have to make all of their income public and the salaries paid to council chief executives is publicly available. The remuneration paid to CEOs of quoted companies is also public and for private companies you can get the accounts from companies house which will give you some details of directors pay.

Not sure the public nature of those examples makes the case that it is a good thing:

• The public sharing of CEO pay is widely blamed for massively increasing CEO pay once they started to 'compete' against their peers.
• The huge downwards pressure on MPs pay is part of the reason why the expenses culture and coveting of none salary perks became such an issue.

michaels

Yes - it would help with evasion, benefits cheating and gender pay inequality

N1AK wrote: »

Not sure the public nature of those examples makes the case that it is a good thing:

• The public sharing of CEO pay is widely blamed for massively increasing CEO pay once they started to 'compete' against their peers.
• The huge downwards pressure on MPs pay is part of the reason why the expenses culture and coveting of none salary perks became such an issue.

Then again reading the bbc article, the example boss didn't seem to have earned a huge sum - are there any stats on relative income inequality for Norway and the UK? Wouldn't knowing all pay give employees more power compared to employers?

CLAPTON

Yes - it would help with evasion, benefits cheating and gender pay inequality

N1AK wrote: »

Not sure the public nature of those examples makes the case that it is a good thing:

• The public sharing of CEO pay is widely blamed for massively increasing CEO pay once they started to 'compete' against their peers.
• The huge downwards pressure on MPs pay is part of the reason why the expenses culture and coveting of none salary perks became such an issue.

you're not seriously saying that the salaries of MPs (or any elected person) should be secret because of possible unintended consequences
or indeed that CEO salary package should be secret from the company's owners?

CLAPTON

Yes - it would help with evasion, benefits cheating and gender pay inequality

Sapphire wrote: »

I voted yes. However, thinking about it having such details published next to actual names would be an abuse of privacy that could even put people in danger – for obvious reasons.

the danger would be no more than that already experienced by all MPs and other elected officials, footballers and other sports professionals, all CEOs and board members of PLCs, Building scoieties board members, charities: the salary of many public officials is essential public information, senior council officials, government agencies, hospital and other NHS board level people, every public sector job advertised etc also easy to guess what schoolteachers, policemen etc earn

N1AK

No - It is between me and my employer and would only lead to jealousy and crime

CLAPTON wrote: »

you're not seriously saying that the salaries of MPs (or any elected person) should be secret because of possible unintended consequences
or indeed that CEO salary package should be secret from the company's owners?

No, but don't let that crimp your style and stop you making up ridiculous straw-men arguments to attack as usual.