LJN Blog Posts

Comments

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  chris nangle May 13, 2010 at 8:09pm

  i hate vat its such a millstone round our necks it hits everyone from kids to grannys thats why its so sucsesfull
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  T & S Plants May 13, 2010 at 9:41pm

  Thanks Chris,
  
  You are spot on.
  
  VAT really is a stealth tax, as most people do not realise when they are paying it. For example most people understand that VAT is not on food, yet, but when they visit their supermarket they are still paying VAT on many items.
  
  Pet food, crisps, washing powder, shower gel, even loo rolls, that give me an idea for a campaign ...
  
  "The tories tax you to sh*t, and that's a fact."
  
  Think about Gideon Osbourne the next time you need to pay a visit.
  
  best regards,
  
  Steve
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  Fenlandphil May 14, 2010 at 7:19am

  VAT is a regressive tax its' burden falls more heavily on those with low or fixed incomes that have little surplus cash. Hopefully there will be some mitigation with a rise in personal allowances but if you are already below the tax threshold it will make little if any difference.
  I have beleived that income tax is a fairer way of collecting tax than VAT you only pay if you are earning the money to pay it.
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  Dave Sewell May 14, 2010 at 1:22pm

  Hmmmm. So how do you think this large budget deficit is going to be paid back if it's not through taxation? Just for fun let's look at the tax increases that LABOUR introduced between 1997 and 2006 alone....
  You'll no doubt notice that a few of these stung business owners like - oh, you and me.
  
  1997
  
  1. Council tax up 6.5 per cent to Band D average of £688
  2. Mortgage tax relief cut from 15 per cent to 10 per cent, saving Chancellor £800million-a-year
  3. £5billion-a-year tax grab on retirement savings by scrapping dividend tax credits for pension funds
  4. Private medical insurance tax relief for pensioners abolished
  5. Health insurance taxed again
  6. Fuel tax escalator up, leading to inflation-busting rises on petrol prices
  7. Vehicle excise duty up
  8. Tobacco duty escalator up (as fuel)
  9. Stamp duty increased on properties over £250,000
  10. Corporation tax changes
  11. Windfall tax on privatised utilities, designed to raise £5.2billion
  1998
  
  12. Married couples' allowance cut from 15 per cent to 10 per cent from April 1999
  13. Tax on travel insurance up
  14. Tax on casinos and gaming machines up
  15. Fuel tax escalator brought forward
  16. Tax on company cars increased
  17. Tax relief for foreign earnings abolished
  18. Tax concession for certain professions abolished
  19. Capital gains tax imposed on certain non-residents
  20. Reinvestment relief restricted
  21. Corporation tax payments brought forward
  22. Stamp duty on properties increased again
  23. Some petrol and oil duties raised
  24. Additional diesel duties
  25. Landfill tax up, from £7 to £10 per ton 26. Council tax up by 8.6 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £747
  1999
  
  27. Upper earnings limit for National Insurance contributions raised above inflation
  28. National Insurance for self-employed people raised
  29. Married couple's allowance abolished from 2000 for under-65s
  30. Mortgage interest relief abolished from April 2000, increasing typical bill for average homeowner by £240-a-year
  31. New rules to stop contractors in IT industry setting up firms to reduce their tax bills
  32. High mileage discount for company cars cut
  33. Tobacco duty escalator brought forward
  34. Insurance premium tax up from one to five per cent
  35. Vocational training relief abolished
  36. Employer's National Insurance contributions extended to all benefits-in-kind
  37. VAT on some banking services increased
  38. Premiums paid to tenants by landlords taxed
  39. Duty on minor oils, such as fuel oil, up
  40. Vehicle excise duties for lorries up
  41. Landfill tax escalator introduced
  42. Stamp duty on properties increased again
  43. Council tax up by 6.7 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £798
  
  2000
  
  44. Tobacco duties up by five per cent above inflation
  45. Stamp duty on properties increased again
  46. Extra taxation of life assurance companies
  47. Rules extended on companies using foreign subsidiaries to shelter profits in low tax regime
  48. Council tax up by 6.1 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £847
  2001
  
  49. Council tax up by 6.4 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £901
  
  2002
  
  50. Personal allowances for everybody under the age of 65 frozen
  51. National Insurance rate to rise from 10 per cent to 11 per cent from April 2003
  52. New NI band for higher earners
  53. National Insurance for employers rises from 11 per cent to 12 per cent
  54. Self-employed also rises by 1 per cent
  55. North Sea taxation up
  56. Tax on some alcoholic drinks up
  57. New stamp duty regime aimed at stamping out tax avoidance
  58. New rules on loan relationships
  59. Council tax up by 8.2 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £976
  2003
  
  60. VAT on electronically supplied services
  61. IR35 applied to domestic workers to stop families from reducing tax bills on nannies
  62. Betting duty change
  63. Tax on red diesel and fuel oil up
  64. Rules extended on companies using foreign subsidiaries to shelter profits in low tax regime extended to Ireland
  65. Vehicle excise duty up by £5 on cars and vans
  66. Council tax up by 12.9 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,102
  2004
  
  67. New 19 per cent tax rate for owner-managed businesses
  68. Six-fold increase in the amount of tax paid by tradesmen for using their vans outside working hours. For basic rate tax-paters, an annual rise of £110 to £660
  69. UK transfer pricing introduced, substantially increasing red tape on British firms
  70. Increase in rate of tax on discretionary trusts becomes 40 per cent
  71. Increase in tax on red diesel fuel
  72. Increase in tax on red diesel fuels, including LPG (liquid petroleum gas)
  73. Council tax up by 5.9 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,167
  2005
  
  74. Cancellation of stamp duty land tax relief on disadvantaged areas
  75. Tax on North Sea oil firms doubled from 10 per cent to 20 per cent
  75. Tax on North Sea oil firms doubled from 10 per cent to 20 per cent
  76. 0 per cent rate of corporation tax abolished which had been introduced by Mr Brown to encourage small businesses
  77. Council tax up by 4.1 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,214
  
  2006
  
  78. Clampdown on trusts and insurance policies commonly used to cut future inheritance bills
  79. Increase of £45 in vehicle excise duty for gas-guzzling 4x4s cars
  80. Council tax up by 4.5 per cent for average bill on Band D property to £1,268
• 

  Fenlandphil May 14, 2010 at 5:13pm

  Do people favour taxes on income or expenditure?
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  Nick Donaghey @ Garden Gurus May 14, 2010 at 8:05pm

  It's not like it's a surprise. It was actually Labour's long-term plan to raise tax once the immediate crisis was over. Like Dave and Paul say - it's got to come from somewhere. If you really want to direct your anger it should be at the upper management of the banks who caused all this, all in aid of lining their own pockets.
• PRO

  Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care May 14, 2010 at 8:53pm

  I think that something has to be done to curb the debt and something radical has to be done sooner rather than later.
  
  VAT is the easiest way to do this as I can't see either Nick or Dave taking free bus travel of pensioners to reduce the burden.
  
  It always amazes me that there is VAT on plants and seeds, when the government bleet on about reducing CO2 emmissions and plants are one of the most simple ways to do so. i.e they are taxing reducing our carbon footprint.
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  chris nangle May 15, 2010 at 9:33am

  vat is a regresive tax it takes money from your pocket as this artical says http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/herald-view/raising-vat-would....
  we need to find money to pay back the national debt,heres an idea lets start asking for it back from the banks we bailed out ,no more bonus payments until the debt is cleared increase tax on them ,as for the we will leave if we carnt have it our way brigade,well f*ck right of then, give us your pasport and dont trade here again.
  The long and short of it is we are all going to be paying more tax but there are lots of people who will avoid this, not the poor or middle class but the usual list of tax dodging super rich non doms and corporations who will riggle out of this, as ever the legislation to stop this will not be worth a red piss to thease guys
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  Cat Fereday May 15, 2010 at 10:08am

  I'm not sure you can call it a stealth tax when it's pretty widely known about.....
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  Fenlandphil May 15, 2010 at 10:49am

  Probably the most sensible thing is wait until we get the budget, then moan about it.
  An increase in VAT will hurt those on low incomes, increases in employers NI contributions increase the cost of employing full time staff. Large retailers avoid this by taking on large numbers of part time staff instead of fewer full time staff. This means that the part time staff in order to make ends meet have to claim tax credits to top up their earnings, in effect we the tax payers are not only bailing out the banks but subsidising the likes of Tescos.
  I would like to see the budget stamp out this anomally for large companies.