Hi Folks,
A quick and dirty query occurred to me this morning, to which
I basically want a quick and dirty answer ... however, proper
analysis of the question would undoubtedly be very complex and
hedged with some very dark imponderables ... nevertheless, some
of you may have informed views!
We all pay taxes, roughly in proportion to our incomes.
These taxes are supposed to pay for benefits which we may all
receive in various degrees.
But my QDQ is: Do the wealthy receive more benefit per tax paid
than the unwealthy?
Otherwise put: When I pay tax, do people richer than me get more
out of my tax than I do?
It is supposed to be the other way round: in theory, taxation
could be a mechanism of (partial) redistribution of wealth, to
reduce inequalities (e.g. the ideals of the NHS). The poor should
see more benefit in proportion to the taxes they pay than the
rich do.
However, sometimes I have my doubts. Recent news stories have
re-awoken these. In particular there are some very expensive
people in Government and Civil Service whose recent activities
seem of doubtful benefit to me. I suspect that wealthy people
and rich organisations/institutions see benefit (if any) from
this; I don't think I do!
Comments welcome.
Best wishes to all,
Ted.
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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <[log in to unmask]>
Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 167 1972
Date: 06-Feb-04 Time: 10:45:49
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