Jack, this was a challenging piece, but your note 3 enabled some perspective. I think there is a structural problem with the taxation base in this country, for obvious historical reasons. Example: how many countries place such reliance on fuel and alcohol duty? Perhaps politicians have realised this, and their response is decade-long “freezes.” Think tanks may reflect on such matters, though I’ve never heard such. But elsewhere?
“Widespread and excessive alcohol consumption was tolerated, or even encouraged, because of its scope for raising revenue,” Martin McKee wrote in the journal Alcohol & Alcoholism. According to Brown, by the 1850s, vodka sales made up nearly half the Russian government’s tax revenues. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin banned vodka. After his death, however, Stalin used vodka sales to help pay for the socialist industrialization of the Soviet Union. By the 1970s, receipts from alcohol again constituted a third of government revenues. One study found that alcohol consumption more than doubled between 1955 and 1979, to 15.2 liters per person."
“By the 1970s, receipts from alcohol again constituted a third of government revenues.” Prima facie, this is absolutely fantastic! Almost impossible to believe, were it not the USSR and ideological imperatives!
It's triggering for so many reasons. So at the current rate it's still at least a 1/3rd of the pump price of unleaded petrol. AND there's the VAT as well...
I'm actually not against taxation generally. I believe in a (small) welfare state system that can support people in need and provide some basic levels of public services. But, I'm not at all a fan of varying percentages for different classes of people. Income Tax and NI should, in my humble opinion, just be a flat percentage for everyone. How can the same percentage be unfair to anyone? And I mean small as well. I don't really want the government (or any local "authority") to tax me more and decide to spend that on charitable aid overseas or to fund wars that shouldn't happen. If I want to donate to charity, I will. If I don't want to support war, I won't! Simplistic I know. I am.
Jack, this was a challenging piece, but your note 3 enabled some perspective. I think there is a structural problem with the taxation base in this country, for obvious historical reasons. Example: how many countries place such reliance on fuel and alcohol duty? Perhaps politicians have realised this, and their response is decade-long “freezes.” Think tanks may reflect on such matters, though I’ve never heard such. But elsewhere?
From The Atlantic: How Alcohol Conquered Russia
“Widespread and excessive alcohol consumption was tolerated, or even encouraged, because of its scope for raising revenue,” Martin McKee wrote in the journal Alcohol & Alcoholism. According to Brown, by the 1850s, vodka sales made up nearly half the Russian government’s tax revenues. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin banned vodka. After his death, however, Stalin used vodka sales to help pay for the socialist industrialization of the Soviet Union. By the 1970s, receipts from alcohol again constituted a third of government revenues. One study found that alcohol consumption more than doubled between 1955 and 1979, to 15.2 liters per person."
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/how-alcohol-conquered-russia/279965/
“By the 1970s, receipts from alcohol again constituted a third of government revenues.” Prima facie, this is absolutely fantastic! Almost impossible to believe, were it not the USSR and ideological imperatives!
It's triggering for so many reasons. So at the current rate it's still at least a 1/3rd of the pump price of unleaded petrol. AND there's the VAT as well...
You should hear what the government takes from income tax, NI and VAT!
I'm actually not against taxation generally. I believe in a (small) welfare state system that can support people in need and provide some basic levels of public services. But, I'm not at all a fan of varying percentages for different classes of people. Income Tax and NI should, in my humble opinion, just be a flat percentage for everyone. How can the same percentage be unfair to anyone? And I mean small as well. I don't really want the government (or any local "authority") to tax me more and decide to spend that on charitable aid overseas or to fund wars that shouldn't happen. If I want to donate to charity, I will. If I don't want to support war, I won't! Simplistic I know. I am.
Would Dubai suit?