Thursday 8 April 2010

A quick thought on Tax

All this 'our tax manifesto is better than your tax manifesto' bullshit has got me thinking.  Well, that and some posters on the Huffingtonpost scoffing at the idea of introducing a 'UK style' Value Added Tax.

VAT, as with National Insurance, means absolutely nothing to me.  I never see it.  Things simply cost whatever they cost and I simply get paid whatever I get paid.  It remains constant, it becomes habitualised and I don't think of either at any point of any day (bar now obviously)...

In fact, the only tax I worry about in the council tax.  Not surprising when what it consists of is a bill through your door at intervals long enough for each to be a stressful surprise.  It's a large amount and psychologically it is simply all about the tax and the consequences it entails.

So why don't we make all tax the indirect, invisible kind?  The initial pain of whatever we change to enact such a policy would soon become habitualised and represent a new norm, whilst eliminating the stress and worry of having a stand-alone tax.  It would also be fairer in that those who use whatever services we tax least, gets taxed less.

It would be so much better, no?

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