Uk wages so heavily taxed..employer confidence low

[Cyclone]

Anyone else finding the cost of living out of sync with wages and taxation?

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2015 at 12:51 ----------

 

I think we are having to work longer and harder to reach our goals. Certainly find this to be the case.

 

Obviously you wouldn't start this without evidence, so what is the relative tax burden and how does that compare to the rest of europe?

[ubermaus]

Obviously you wouldn't start this without evidence, so what is the relative tax burden and how does that compare to the rest of europe?

 

Whats the relative tax burden?

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 19:27 ----------

 

http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/denmark/

 

Some more info on how we fayre against other countries..note housing, income, work life balance, life satisfaction are low compared to other developed nations

@@@'''''''''

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 19:28 ----------

 

The link above is a good barometer

[I1L2T3]

I think many people under 40 is facing a massive challenge in life, the younger they are the worse it is. Housing, pensions, careers - they have a rougher deal on all of it. Anybody with friends or relatives in their 20s and 30s will understand.

[go4it]

See above..note i didnt say 'computer' or wide screen TV

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2015 at 15:18 ----------

 

Aldi was around in the 1990s..even thats gone up.

 

I think for people who spend all their time at home, on the computer, watching subscription TV services, posting on Sheffield Forum, then it is difficult to live.

 

But when you go outside, for a free walk maybe in the Peak District, costs become manageable.

[Cyclone]

Whats the relative tax burden?

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 19:27 ----------

 

@@@'''''''''

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 19:28 ----------

 

The link above is a good barometer

 

No, that has a lot of information, but tax burden simply isn't one of them.

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 22:43 ----------

 

You'd think you'd do the basic research before typing in a title at least...

 

"So heavily taxed" in comparison to where?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26327114

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 22:45 ----------

 

The UK is strictly middle of the table

 

These tax rates apply to single people with no children, on an average salary for their country.

Belgium- 42.80%

Germany - 39.90%

Denmark - 38.90%

Hungary- 35%

Austria -34%

Greece - 25.4%

OECD Average - 25.10%

UK - 24.90%

USA - 22.70%

New Zealand - 16.40%

Israel - 15.50%

Korea - 13%

Mexico -9.50%

Chile - 7%

 

The following tax rates apply to married couples with two children.

Denmark - 34.8%

Austria - 31.9%

Belgium- 31.8%

Finland -29.4%

Netherlands - 28.7%

Greece 26.7%

UK - 24.9%

Germany - 21.3%

OECD average - 19.6%

USA - 10.4%

Korea - 10.2%

Slovak Republic - 10%

Mexico - 9.5%

Chile - 7%

Czech Republic - 5.6%

[Anna B]

I think many people under 40 is facing a massive challenge in life, the younger they are the worse it is. Housing, pensions, careers - they have a rougher deal on all of it. Anybody with friends or relatives in their 20s and 30s will understand.

 

Indeed.

 

Surely the elephant in the room is the high cost of housing and rents. They are well outside the price range for many people. Then there's the rising cost of energy, insurances, pensions, and so on.

 

So yes, there's most certainly a cost of living crisis for many, depending on circumstances.

 

There's also a whole range of other stuff that's fast becoming unaffordable but most people won't realise it until they find themselves in need of it. Justice, for instance - people will find they can't afford the assistance of solicitors should they need them, or home care, which is ridiculously expensive.

[ubermaus]

No, that has a lot of information, but tax burden simply isn't one of them.

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 22:43 ----------

 

You'd think you'd do the basic research before typing in a title at least...

 

"So heavily taxed" in comparison to where?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26327114

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 22:45 ----------

 

The UK is strictly middle of the table

 

Youre assuming its strictly relative to other countries.

Yet, it could be more a comparison with the past.

Lets not forget wages are only just returning to pre 2008 levels...the gfc kind of skews things

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 23:08 ----------

 

Tax is heavy compared to costs.

 

---------- Post added 29-03-2015 at 23:09 ----------

 

Indeed.

 

Surely the elephant in the room is the high cost of housing and rents. They are well outside the price range for many people. Then there's the rising cost of energy, insurances, pensions, and so on.

 

So yes, there's most certainly a cost of living crisis for many, depending on circumstances.

 

There's also a whole range of other stuff that's fast becoming unaffordable but most people won't realise it until they find themselves in need of it. Justice, for instance - people will find they can't afford the assistance of solicitors should they need them, or home care, which is ridiculously expensive.

 

Yep. Thats the apex of our problem

[go4it]

Tax is heavy compared to costs

 

Then lower your costs.

 

Technology has changed so much. People spend all their day on computers. Back in the 90s this just did not happen.

 

Logging onto the internet to complain about various things and start topics on tax costs money. Switch off the computer and go to bed early.

[tzijlstra]

Let's compare to my home country. As an employee of a school (first permanent post as a librarian) in 2003/5 I brought home around 25,000 € a year. That was structured on a 13 month pay structure (you get an extra month's wages before Christmas.)

 

so effectively 2000 € a month gross pay. (These are head calculated numbers, roughly right)

 

a minimum of 36,5% of that goes straight to the tax-man, Leaving me with around 1200 €

 

Health-insurance (the kicker that people here always forget about when moving abroad) costs me around 120€ a month. Leaving me around 1080.

 

Car taxes are considerably higher, council taxes equal (I think), VAT a bit higher, you pay taxes to the province and the water-management council as well, in a lot of councils you pay for waste collection, membership of libraries is not free, musea and art galleries are not free, childcare costs an absolute fortune, all schools are fee-based, 1500€ per child in primary school if I recall well, twice that in secondary school.

 

Housing is relatively a bit cheaper, but not a lot and ONLY if you buy and use the mortgage rebate to the fullest (ie. exploit the system) renting in the Netherlands costs a fortune compared to here.

 

After paying for housing, as a single man I would be left with around 400€ a month to spend on food, entertainment, clothes and fuel. That is about the same as JSA? and that would be on a 25K income, which is just under average in the NLs.

 

So no, things ain't half bad here.

Edited March 29, 2015 by tzijlstra

[Happ Hazzard]

Reduce the bottom rate of income tax to 5%. Or raise the personal allowance to £15,000 or wo.