Will Messrs Reeves and Raynor Still Be Around This Time Next Year?

ronib

I really don’t like the hype against a stay at home parent or unpaid carers looking after family. It’s shameful imo.

Shameful? Hype? No. It is shining a light on privilege.

Carers are an entirely different matter, and IMO it is shameful to put them in the same category.

madalene

That was to Doodledog by the way.

I would not be averse to a citizen tax. It seems to me reasonable that everyone who can should contribute to a fair society. If I were in charge (which is not something I would put myself forward to be) I would have lots of get-out clauses as I understand that we are not created equal.

I would, however, expect there to be an assumption that allowing for life’s inequities we would all be expected to put in as much as we get out - why would that not be the case? What makes some assume that they don’t have to bother and others should?

Syracute
Judging a person on appearance is really archaic. This has nothing to do with the thread . All the comments here about her haircut are just catty.

I thought that about all the comments people made about BJ, and I didn’t even like him. It didn’t stop them, and they still appear now on SM, even GN.
Archaic and catty. I don’t remember that being levelled at BJ’s appearance critics.

Why don’t we consider tax as an honourable contribution to the well being of our society, not as something to be avoided if at all possible?
IMO those who have more should pay more, not as often is the case, using (legal) tax loopholes.

Swift diversion there, Molly.

Anything to say about tax and opting out of contributions, or is it easier to try to move things to the divisive topic of Johnson?

Farzanah

Why don’t we consider tax as an honourable contribution to the well being of our society, not as something to be avoided if at all possible?
IMO those who have more should pay more, not as often is the case, using (legal) tax loopholes.

Absolutely! I couldn’t agree more.

Ditto farzanah & doodledog 👏👏👏

Doodledog

Farzanah

Why don’t we consider tax as an honourable contribution to the well being of our society, not as something to be avoided if at all possible?
IMO those who have more should pay more, not as often is the case, using (legal) tax loopholes.

Absolutely! I couldn’t agree more.

In the year 2022-2023 Tax (PAYE/Self assessment) and NI made up 42% of tax revenue, VAT, Fuel Duty, IHT, CGT, Road Tax etc., made up the remaining 58%.

Whether you work, stay at home or retired every time you open your purse you are in all probability paying tax.

According to the House of Commons Library 10% of income tax payers with the largest income contribute over 60% of income tax receipts.

Out of all the countries in the world we rank 16th in the highest taxed

What point are you making there?

Aer you saying that we should all contribute to society or not? Sorry, but that is not clear to me.

Doodledog

What point are you making there?

Aer you saying that we should all contribute to society or not? Sorry, but that is not clear to me.

I am pointing out that you do not have to be in work to pay tax or as you put it contribute to society

Apart from basic food and children’s clothing every time we purchase goods we pay tax.

Doodledog

Swift diversion there, Molly.

Anything to say about tax and opting out of contributions, or is it easier to try to move things to the divisive topic of Johnson?

🤣🤣🤣
I didn’t introduce the topic of commenting on people’s appearance.

Doodledog

ronib

I really don’t like the hype against a stay at home parent or unpaid carers looking after family. It’s shameful imo.

Shameful? Hype? No. It is shining a light on privilege.

Carers are an entirely different matter, and IMO it is shameful to put them in the same category.

People who look after babies and small children are not carers, then?
Presumably they are only carers if looking after other people's children.

🤔

Farzanah

Why don’t we consider tax as an honourable contribution to the well being of our society, not as something to be avoided if at all possible?
IMO those who have more should pay more, not as often is the case, using (legal) tax loopholes.

What about my ISA?
Should I cash it in for the sake of the country?

Presumably they are only carers if looking after other people's children.
It sounds like it doesn’t it.

I do object to paying in being optional

It’s not! People who work pay income tax and NI. It’s not optional.
People buy things and use services and pay tax on those goods and services. It’s not optional.
People buy a different house and pay tax - Stamp Duty. It’s not optional.
People who use a vehicle pay road tax and fuel tax. It’s not optional.
People pay Council Tax. It’s not optional.
People pay tax on any savings they are lucky enough to have. It’s not optional.
If people are lucky enough to own a second house, they pay extra Stamp Duty and they pay CGT when they sell. It’s not optional.
If people own stocks and shares, they will pay any taxes due (I don’t know much about stocks and shares) but any taxes due are not optional.
If people are lucky enough to inherit, they may pay IHT if applicable. It’s not optional.

I’m unsure which taxes are optional. I don’t think any are optional.
It’s optional to choose not to have a paid job. If a person is able to afford to not have a paid job, then that is optional. But they still pay all their taxes except Income Tax.

There were a few more things I didn’t mention such as alcohol duty, cigarette duty, flight ticket duty, and I’m sure you can all think of more.
None of the duty paid on the above is optional.

madalene you are correct 👏👏👏

Mollygo

Doodledog

Swift diversion there, Molly.

Anything to say about tax and opting out of contributions, or is it easier to try to move things to the divisive topic of Johnson?

🤣🤣🤣
I didn’t introduce the topic of commenting on people’s appearance.

Sniggering smileys don't make a sensible point, and nor do sneering ones..

so to move on,

Sitting at home and cleaning one's own house should not, IMO, be counted as contributing to society, particularly when children are at school as opposed to being babies/toddlers.

What has that ro do with anyone's appearance?

Allira

Doodledog

ronib

I really don’t like the hype against a stay at home parent or unpaid carers looking after family. It’s shameful imo.

Shameful? Hype? No. It is shining a light on privilege.

Carers are an entirely different matter, and IMO it is shameful to put them in the same category.

People who look after babies and small children are not carers, then?
Presumably they are only carers if looking after other people's children.

🤔

No.

Looking after your own children is caring for other people's children. Looking after your own is not, however the same as caring for others' children when they are at school and no longer need caring for between 9-5 or whatever you have arranged as the hours you are out of the house. That is just 'looking after your own house' whigs working parents also do.

Well you are of course entitled to your opinion Doodledog, but I doubt that any government any time soon, or ever, is going to force people who are not living on benefits out to work, nor is any government going to charge people a citizen’s charge.
So I think things will remain as they are.

I don’t know about that madelene. I can see there being incentive to return to work if the age of the last child is lowered for NI eligibility. If immigration is to reduce significantly, and EU workers have no incentive to work in the UK, we will need to employ dormant workforce.

madalene

Well you are of course entitled to your opinion Doodledog, but I doubt that any government any time soon, or ever, is going to force people who are not living on benefits out to work, nor is any government going to charge people a citizen’s charge.
So I think things will remain as they are.

At the moment there are not enough vacancies for all the people who are seeking jobs.

841,00 vacancies compared to 1.8 million people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.

Those seeking work may not, of course, have the qualifications or skills to fill the vacancies.
There may be more people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the future as employers are, reluctantly, forced to let staff go as costs escalate.

Looking after your own children is caring for other people's children

🤔

Well, I managed to do both but I don't think everyone does.

Allira

madalene

Well you are of course entitled to your opinion Doodledog, but I doubt that any government any time soon, or ever, is going to force people who are not living on benefits out to work, nor is any government going to charge people a citizen’s charge.
So I think things will remain as they are.

At the moment there are not enough vacancies for all the people who are seeking jobs.

841,00 vacancies compared to 1.8 million people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.

Those seeking work may not, of course, have the qualifications or skills to fill the vacancies.
There may be more people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the future as employers are, reluctantly, forced to let staff go as costs escalate.

Yes, but net migration was 685,000 in 2023.

There were 1.80 million JSA claimants in September 2024, which was 27,900 more than the month before and 253,200 more than in September 2023. The Department for Work and Pensions made changes to the criteria for claiming Universal Credit in May 2024, and the ONS have reported that this is likely to increase the claimant count over a six month period.

I am sensing some resentment for people who are able to stay at home, look after their children and when the children are school age take them to and pick them up.

Envy maybe?