Are Taxes Really Higher Now Than Any Time Since The 1940'S?

[Atheist]

This from BBC news online... (N.B. Johnson refers to Paul Johnson, director of The Institute for Fiscal Studies)

"Are taxes at their highest since World War Two?

Taxes are indeed rising to their highest level since the late 1940s, says Johnson. That's partly to do with the pandemic, but mostly it's due to the growth of the "welfare state", he says, for example rising spending on the NHS over decades.

At the same time, the economy has been growing at a "feeble rate" for the last 15 years, says Johnson. Compared to other Western European countries, he says, the UK has relatively low levels of taxation and public spending."

Do you remember the Beatles song "Taxman"?

"Let me tell you how it must be (Taxman, Taxman)
There's one for you, nineteen for me (Taxman, Taxman)"

I don't think the rich are paying 19 bob in the pound nowadays.

[Gromit]

The tax burden now is the equivalent to the early 1980s, 40 years ago.
We borrowed massively to win WWII in the 1940s, but we didn’t tax massively, that came later.

[TheChair]

//I don't think the rich are paying 19 bob in the pound nowadays.//
No; when you consistently vote for rich politicians, it tends to be ordinary people who pay higher taxes - either directly or indirectly.

[davebro]

I think VAT has made the difference!

[Gromit]

https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/24330.jpeg

[bobbinwales]

//I don't think the rich are paying 19 bob in the pound nowadays.//
Am all for a progressive tax system but theres no case I can see for taking anything like 95%, even 60% is to high, wheres the incentive to earn more (or fairly declare income), just leads to evasion/avoidance

[gulliver1]

Although the Tory party always call themselves the Party of low taxation it is not true , they will always find a way of robbing the poor and the working class, to make themselves richer, it is in their bones , handed down from father to son.

[Gromit]

The problem isn’t high tax per se.
It is when it come with high inflation, recession and wage stagnation that people get angry. Sunak take note.

[Gromit]

Sunak was the worst Chancellor since Denis Healy.
We are in the mess we are in today because of him.
Healy never made it to Prime Minister (and rightly so), and the charlatan Sunak never should either.