The Community Charge...is It Fair On Single People ?

[mikey4444]

As a singleton, I have to pay 75% of the C.Tax that the family next door pays, despite there being two wages earners and 3 children living there.

I am quite happy to pay my share of C.Tax but why isn't my discount 75% instead of only 25% ? It doesn't seem terribly fair to me.

[mikey4444]

Ladybirder...if we were starting designing a State Pension scheme today, it is unlikely that we would end up in the over-complicated mess that we are in today ! Its a complete dogs breakfast at the moment, but it gets much simpler soon.

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension

The new State Pension will be no less than £148:40 a week, £7716 pa, which is still less than the annual tax allowance of £10,000 pa, so its highly unlikely that any tax will need to be paid, if no other pensions are payable.

I just wanted to clear up the mistaken view that the State Pension is automatically taxable. It is not.

[Jackdaw33]

But it is, once you cross the threshold. Your argument is akin to saying that dole money is not taxable.

[mikey4444]

Methyl...I agree ! If you read the Wiki link I have provided, its easy to see why it was abandoned so soon after its inception. Here is the link for those that missed it :::

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Charge

My favourite paragraph from the link ::::

"The big collection issue was the 20%/100% split. People in employment had to pay 100%, students and the registered unemployed paid 20%. The nature of the shared house market meant that not even the landlord knew exactly who was living there; tenants were replaced, and may have shared a "single" room with their partner. So the local council had no idea who was living where and when"

You couldn't make it up...no wonder people rioted !

[ladybirder]

And I just wanted to clear that everyone's SP is not the basic SP, that's all.

[mikey4444]

Jackdaw...I was not aware that "dole money" was paid after the State Pension was awarded. Not sure what you mean by "dole money" ?

Is this Job Seekers Allowance, which used to be called Unemployment Benefit, which is what I think of the "dole" ?

Anyway, my central point still stands. Income Tax is only paid on total income, from any source, goes over the £10,000 annual allowance. If the State Pension tips the total annual income over the £10,000, then of course income tax is payable. Nowhere have I suggested otherwise.

By the way, Housing Benefit, along with a 18 other state benefits is NOT taxable. If in doubt, this link will be of interest to you :::

https://www.gov.uk/income-tax/taxfree-and-taxable-state-benefits

[mikey4444]

Thank you ladybirder...I appreciate your comments !

[Jackdaw33]

"This is an exciting initiative..."
Never been more so excited...

[mikey4444]

Glad to hear it JD !

[Jackdaw33]

Soz, wrong thread.

[mikey4444]

Yes,,,I have just seen it over on the smoking thread JD ! Never mind...we all make mistakes, even you and me sometimes !

Now I am off to bed....at my times of life, I need all the beauty sleep that I can get !

[naomi24]

Mikey, //Can I gently suggest that we are going off-topic a bit with this thread.//

Indeed you are. I’ll get back to the subject.

Ummmm, //You're right, Naomi, the areas requiring the most attention are the cheaper areas. They just don't get the same level of attention.//

Still not with you. What 'extras' do you think people in more expensive houses get?