Council tax . Opinions welcomed.

[Evans Electric]

Our council taxes will no doubt go up next year ,  ours will  I think due to B,ham hosting the Commonwealth Games ,     which means great  "poshing "up  of areas for the TV. 

But this point was raised today on the radio , one I've always puzzled over .               The guy said  " Why should he pay more  tax because  of the value of his property . "   

You only get the same services  wherever you live  ...."Posh area"  or inner city  dump  !!!     

I had this discussion / argument  with a mate when we paid Poll Tax for a short while  .      He had three sons  who were all still at home  , all working  all over 25      ( Still there)  who never pay any council taxes  ...Mon & Dad pay  because they own a house  in a decent area  but sons are entitled to the same services  .

Also , because my mate was now in a "posher" area  than me ,  he pays much more  for the same service  , same  bins , streetlights , same potholes  in the same roads  etc.   

Is this fair I ask ?  

 

[ProDave]

I know, let's replace the council tax with a system where every citizen all pays exactly the same amount irespective of whether they live in a big house, a small house or a cardboard box.

What is not to like, it would be fair and reasonable would it not everyone would pay it so the cost per person would be lower.

Well a lot of people didn't think so last time it was tried.

Personally I don't want it to change.  When it went from Rates to poll tax, my bill went up. When it went from poll tax to council tax, my bill went up.  Which way do you think my bill will go if ever the council tax is replaced?

I have said this before, I am oficially in "council tax poverty" where the council tax bill is 10% of my income.  People get all bothered if your fuel bill exceeds 10% and say how shocking it is that you are in fuel poverty, but nobody even recognises "council tax poverty" let alone says they will fix it.

Council tax is my second largest bill, only the food bill is bigger (and I feel I get better value for money from that)

 

[Sharpend]

How about they abolish all taxes other than income tax and just raise that by a few pence? Or just abolish income and we all receive a rations book, after all once all tax and stealth tax is paid then we only have pennies left anyway? Have we had that before? 

 

[Evans Electric]

Council tax is my second largest bill, only the food bill is bigger (and I feel I get better value for money from that)

My tax is £22.47  week   but then I don't live  in a Scottish  Castle  & own  Argyllshire   .   :C :innocent

 

[Evans Electric]

all tax and stealth tax is paid then we only have pennies left anyway? Have we had that before? 

We have had that before  , specially if you're an employee ,   two big deductions made before you even receive it .    Prime Minister John  Major  said something about the working man  who , after paying his taxes  & all  necessary  outgoings  ,  has nothing left to jangle in his pocket  & spend on what he would like .  

 

[ProDave]

My tax is £22.47  week  .  

Half mine then.

 

[Evans Electric]

Half mine then.

 yep   you're paying twice mine then  . 

This my point ,  do they empty the bins every week ?   Do they fill in the potholes ?  Have they reduced social services to a bare minimum?  

Do you get any extra services to what I get ?

Another thing is ...take this area ...95%  of the buses   ( Pronounced Buzzes here)  were  Corporation   Buzzes  funded by the council tax  ( the other 5% were  Midland Red)

But there was never any reduction in tax now all corporation buses have gone over  to private enterprise  .  

 

[Sharpend]

The reason for that is called subsidises. The council will tell you it’s cheaper cos they ain’t got to pay for maintenance and upkeep of buzzes only we know that the private firm have a costing for that incorporated in the subsidy levy. Silly councillors. 

 

[M107]

£160 per month for us plus we;ve just been stung with an additional £50 if we want our garden waste recycled apparently it isnt covered by "normal council tax"

 

[Sharpend]

 Not saying that people around here are tight wads but garden waste is an excuse for a bonfire! 

 

[Evans Electric]

an additional £50 if we want our garden waste recycled

Garden waste is  £30  / year here .     

 

[ProDave]

We don't pay for the garden waste. That's what compost heaps are for, or a good bonfire, or the very bottom of a normal wheelie bin.......

My BIL took some garden waste to his local tip. As he was dragging the 1 ton builders bag full of garden waste out of the back of the truck, the operative in charge came storming over "you can't tip that much" 

BIL points to the sign saying "Garden waste, 1 car, 1 bag" and pointed out he only had 1 car and he only had 1 bag of garden waste.

Operative sulks off in a huff.

 

[Evans Electric]

Operatives are a strange breed. 

 

[binky]

Posh area housing tends to be more spread out, so it does cost more in street lights and time to collect rubbish. However, I'm with Sharpend, why do they contiunually hide taxation under god knows how many different forms? 1 tax based on income should be all we need, and may be some coporation tax. The simplification would mean far less costs in terms of sdmin, fraud, accountants etc etc. As I have argued on here before, when we went from rates to council tax the admin cost was 3% higher, so that's 3 % wasted money on admin. I also object to being an unpaid collector of VAT for the government.

 

[Evans Electric]

contiunually hide taxation under god knows how many different forms

As you say it all goes into the same bottomless pot .!!    There must be dozens of 'em !!!

Road Vehicle Tax .          (  Buy a car , pay the Gov.  VAT  ../  tax on the insurance .../   )    Nothing to do with roads . 

VAT                                        ( Virtually everything you buy ..pay the Gov,)

TV  licence .                        (Massive general tax ..small amount  goes to fund the BBC  )  

Petrol in car.                      ( A fuel duty  I believe   plus VAT )   

 

[Sharpend]

So how about politicians being paid a basic wage with a Performance bonus, should reduce the tax bill significantly ??

 

[Evans Electric]

Sounds right to me ! 

 

[Sharpend]

Then we could have council tax based upon council performance rather than bricks and mortar. 

I can see an end too austerity for the working man and a far more efficient system in the making. 

 

[revjames]

I think its a joke. Government cuts money to local councils, Local government then raises council tax rates/ In Angkesey, the last 10 years have seen rises of 4.5 - 5% every year. Government gives tax cuts in the form of better tax thresholds etc then local government takes it away. Centralise all taxes I say

 

[binky]

cuts are not finished yet, 2020 is the finish date for cuts.