Poll Tax to be re-introduced

[rov1200]

Should this tax be re-introduced in the interests of fairness? It had to be abandoned during Thatchers reign because of the riots by teenage thugs. Those same thugs have grown up and probably own houses and support a family so their opinions must have changed. Maybe a different scale of payment could be used but isn't the idea sound?

[Ethel]

I thought the poll tax was by far the fairest system, and would like to have it back - every adult paying their share.

Can't see a problem with it.

[Oneeyedvic]

Well surely the fairest system is linked to earnings. That way you are not penalising a low income family who all live together, and everyone is paying according to what they can afford.

It works for central government tax - why not local taxes? Also, you wouldn't have the issues that you do with Poll tax or even Council tax of non payment - it would be taxed at source.

[Ethel]

What about those that don't pay income tax? There are plenty about.

I know several pensioners who don't pay income tax, for example, and some have to pay at least part of the council tax.

[funnygirl]

What was fair about it??

Remind me again!

[Ethel]

It was fair because every adult paid for local services.

Those on low incomes still got help with the bill.

How was it not fair? Remind me?

[Oneeyedvic]

Most pensioners will get a pension, and so it would be deducted directly from this - same goes for unemployment benefit etc.

[Ethel]

But pensioners with a pension only pay tax if their total income exceeds �9k. I know lots of pensioners who live on less than that amount.

[terambulan]

Wasn't poll tax in place of Rates/council tax?

It would be fairer if we paid for the services we got, no more weekly bin clearance/road sweeping/gully cleaning/street salting etc CTs haven't been reduced for lessening of services.

[Postdog]

Poll tax is totally unfair the way it was. Yes I agree that people should take individual responsibily for paying for their needs, but ONLY if they are earning too and so able to contribute. Not everyone in a family earns or is entitled to benefits or discounts, and yet they still had to pay - totally wrong!

[Oneeyedvic]

In which case Ethel, there could be a banding system (like the banding for income tax).

Pensioners may have to fill in an extra self assessment form each year to confirm that they are not earning any more than �9k (or whatever the appropriate amounts are).

Again (like income tax) it may be that banks automatically take off a local tax of interest earned.

[Kathyan]

Poll tax was a fairer way of council funding. However it should have been based on your ability to pay it. There should have been a sliding scale of discounts based on earnings.

[rov1200]

Poll Tax was considered because then the rates were so exhorbitant and every earner would have to contribute. When it was abandoned and Michael Heseltine designed the current system based on banding it was more affordable than the old rates. Now the council rates have doubled since the inception just a few years ago and with the soon to be revaluation of all properties I hate to think what the final rate bill will be. Something should be done before we even consider it and the poll tax seems to fit the bill.

[spudqueen]

The poll tax was in when I had my eldest son. I gave up work to stay at home with my baby, I didn't claim anything off the state (apart from child benefit), so really had no income (my husband did give me housekeeping - but believe me, I had no spare income after buying food and stuff for my baby), yet I was expected to pay 100 per cent of the poll tax. What really got me was that if I was unemployed and claiming benefit I would only have paid 25 per cent, but trying to be a good mother and a good citizen (by not claiming for things I wasn't entitled to) obviously did benefit me. It was a real struggle to pay every month.

[Ethel]

But in the same situation, you would have to pay 100% council tax or rates, surely?

[truffles]

When the poll tax came in i had a mortgage to pay and the poll tax amounted to nearly two months wage. I worked full time. It caused me to loose my home. I can see the benefit in each paying an amount, but if they did do it, i hope they are better organised as when i complained about it i was told to ' have a baby and claim benefits because thats what their all doing'