The world has changed. Companies choose the most efficient areas to base their workforce.

Try ordering from Dell or Apple and see where it comes from.

Company tax and personal tax all come into it. Punish people for working and they will work where they're not punished. Welcome to the 21st century.

Sorry. I edited it within seconds, not in response to your post.

DUPLICATE POST DELETED

Punish people for working and they will work where they're not punished. Welcome to the 21st century.

Scandinavian countries which pay way more tax than we do don't seem to have these problems of their economies being crippled by losing high earners/the highly skilled/motivated do they?

Is that because it's bollocks, or that they have more of a concept of society, rather than a collection of greedy individuals?

5thElefant – Member
Sorry. I edited it within seconds, not in response to your post.

This is True FWIW – it was like that when I posted – no need for the roll sorry

+ what Grum said

Is that because it's bollocks, or that they have more of a concept of society, rather than a collection of greedy individuals?

Sums up the UK rather well.

Scandinavian countries which pay way more tax than we do don't seem to have these problems of their economies being crippled by losing high earners/the highly skilled/motivated do they?

Is that because it's bollocks, or that they have more of a concept of society, rather than a collection of greedy individuals?

In the case of Norway it's due to a couple of unusual factors:
1) Not having pissed away their oil money
2) A much less open economy that we have, where they can tax imports to the extent that allows them to control movements of goods in/out of their economy.

I've read some commentaries that say that Norway couldn't join the EU, even if they wanted to, because of the effect a freer market would have on their economy. Wasn't totally convinced by the argument myself but it did raise some interesting points.

Don't know enough about the economies of the other Scandanavian countries to comment.

i don't know who will win but i know who will lose

You are the ones being punished not the rich. Among the 500 odd posts on the occupations thread I didn't see any that would put anyone above middle income bracket.

You pay NI, income tax, council taxes, VAT, obligatory pension contributions, fuel taxes and all the stealth taxes Brown has invesnted. You pay well over half your income in tax and the council taxes represent a significant tax on your wealth if you are a home owner.

The rich have unearned incomes which are much more lightly taxed than unearned incomes (hardly fair as you are selling your life rather than sitting on your butt adding up dividends). Many investment income are exempt from tax, forestry for example and others are accompanied by tax credits. The very rich simply stash away their money in trusts in the Bahamas and pay no tax at all even though they live in the UK. The rich spend much less of their income on things subject to VAT and don't have to pay pensions or NI.

A small to insignifcant amount of a rich persons wealth/income goes in tax but you losee over half. Is that fair? The richer I have become the less tax I have paid both as a proportion of my income and wealth and in absolute numbers. Interesting eh?

"Most well-balanced people would just be happy to be comfortably off and contributing to society."

Sounds like filthy socialism talk here..

Sounds like filthy socialism talk here..

Well done for proving my point.

A small to insignifcant amount of a rich persons wealth/income goes in tax but you losee over half. Is that fair?

I think once above a reasonable threshold (for example where the 40% bracket starts) then a flat rate for all income above that is fair. People who earn more, contribute more anyway, so it doesn't seem fair to me that the percentage of their income that is paid in tax increases.

"Tax the rich" is a hollow war-cry, mostly from people who'll never themselves build businesses, make jobs or create welth – but they know it'll win votes from people who see business as the enemy. Tommy Sheridan up here being a good example – he knows his policies will never have to be implemented but knows pandering to a certain sector of society will win enough votes to keep him in the style he likes, without actually having to work for it. George Galloway is another good example – talks about taxing the rich to help the poor form the comfort of his holiday villa in Spain.

people who'll never themselves build businesses, make jobs or create wealth

Fine – but that's somewhat removed from being lectured to by arrogant RBS bankers & double dipping BarCap execs about how they are oh so "worth" it. I for one am pretty **** sick of hearing it.

"Earn" implies working for a living. The rich don't earn anything. Thatcher convinced the blue-collar workers they were above voting socialist, who has convinced you lot you are rich and therfore the rich should pay less tax?

Go on, how much tax does someone like Al Fayed pay in tax? Sweet FA. And there are thousands like him funding the Labour party to vote tax laws in their favour.

"Tax the rich" is a hollow war-cry, mostly from people who'll never themselves build businesses, make jobs or create welth

Been there, done all that.