Category: News and politics

Would you want to give away more than 50% of you earnings to the tax man?

Would you be happy to give away more than half your salary in Tax? No…of course not, no matter how much you earn!

I find it amazing that politicians and the media continue to mislead people in the UK about how much tax richer people pay. Even if there was not a tiered tax scale a percentage of salary…means you pay more tax the higher your salary. Simple!?

However, as the UK has ever increasing tax bands, people who get paid more…get taxed even more!! These pie  charts (thanks to http://www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk) illustrate this.

Remember, this is just the tax we all pay before spending our money on VAT ‘able item. Which will add another 20% tax. As wealthier people generally spend a greater percentage of their earnings on VAT ‘able luxury items, (i.e. basic groceries and non-VAT ‘able items are a smaller fraction of their spending than less well off people) again the percentage of salary paid in VAT is greater.

Put simple anyone earning over about £100,000 is looking at forking out half their earnings in Income Tax, NI and VAT!! No wonder people try so hard to find ways to get out of this.

Not to forget all the other taxes, such as alcohol (~48p per pint of beer), petrol (~58p per litre), insurance premiums (between 4% and 20%…yes you get taxed when you insure your car or dishwasher!!!) etc..

Low Salary

Total Taxes: 8.5% of salary

UK average Salary

Total Taxes: 21.4% of salary

Member of Parliament Salary

Total Taxes: 31.5% of salary

Prime Ministers Salary

Total Taxes: 39.6% of salary

Seriously Rich Guy

Total Taxes: 44.8% of salary

RBS Chief Exec

Total Taxes: 46.5% of salary

Footballer salary

Total Taxes: 48.8% of salary

Interactive demo app of Windows Phone 7 for Android and iPhone

Microsoft have rather cleverly created a little demo web app that lets an android or iPhone user get some idea of how the WP7 phone works.

Check it out at http://m.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/demo/

Start showing people how much better WP7 clearly is as a phone OS.

A bit bizarre, but it does not work in my IE9 browser!!

Congestion Charge – Residents discount disception!

I submitted the following petition to Downing Street site and its gone live!

If you agree, please sign the following petition regarding the charges made to residents inside the congestion zone and pass it on to anyone you know within the old and new zones. If anyone knows any councillors or MPs or groups etc., please pass on too. Thanks

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CC-Discount/

The petition reads:


We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure that the Congestion Charge Discount for Residents within the zone, is a real 95% discount as promised and not the 50% bulk discount that has actually been given.

Whether you are a supporter or not of the congestion zone, that fact is, that residents in the zone have been tricked into believing that they would get a 95% discount.

On closer examination they have been forced to buy and pay for 5 consecutive days at a time. A single journey on one day will cost will cost £4. This is not a 95% discount, but a bulk purchase discount.

It is objectionable that departments of state should use such underhand marketing tactics when proposing new policies. We have no objection to paying a min. amount of £4 per transaction, but the days purchased should NOT BE CONSECUTIVE but usable ad hoc.

There is no valid reason to make the days consecutive other than revenue collection. In fact the policy as it stands encourages discount users to make the most days purchased and INCREASE CONGESTION.

All those affected ask that the ‘Mayor of London’ and ‘Transport for London’ change the policy for residents, so that the 95% discount is a REAL 95% discount.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/CC-Discount/