Originally Posted by
Alien Adrenaline Reflex
good. if people are not willing to contribute to their local economy and services then let them move. it will only be the same people that whine and moan about their bins being picked up twice a month or not being abe to get the grass verges cut.
me, id happily pay 5-7% more tax instead of council tax. at least that wya the poorest have to play the least and the richest who can well afford it can pay the most. isnt that how income tax worka or are you going to tell me that is nto fair either.
Interesting point.
But there is a real question here of whether the council 'tax' is a tax in terms of being income linked like PAYE.
If you consider is as a percentage based tax, then fine. I can see the argument for implementing the proposed changes. People should pay more or less based on their wealth.
But if you consider it a payment for services, for bin emptying, grass cutting, water & sewage then you have to ask why shouldn't everyone pay the same?
What other services that you have to pay for would you expect the cost to be linked to your income?
Should the plumber charge less to service the gas boiler of a factory worker than a banker? Should the mechanic charge a higher price to the engineer than to the tradesmen he leads? Should the taxi fares be higher for the store manager than the shelf stacker?
Of course not. That would be ridiculous.
If you consider the council services as just that - services - then payment should be the same for everybody. The Wheelie bin of a rich man costs the same to empty as that of a poor man, so why should the rich man pay more?
Stop considering council tax as a tax, consider it as a compulsory payment for services and peoples views may or may not change. The conclusion everyone will come up with be down to their own reason and beliefs, but there's definitely more than one side to every argument.
Originally Posted by
BetterTogether
It wouldn't be people earning high wages moving around Scotland it would be more a case of them moving South across the border. If you have the choice between 7% local income tax up here or non south then many who earn large wages will not want to carry the extra tax burden on top of the 40% income tax it starts to remove the incentive of earning good money.
That's a problem every government in history has had to deal with.
People will pay tax to a certain level, after which they will become less productive as ultimately contribute less to taxation and the economy.
It's about finding a balance. Yes, take more from the rich to give to the poor but you can only narrow the gap so far before the incentive to be rich is lost and people give up.
Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; Nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.
- Charles de Gaulle
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