Mr Monteith says he wants to see a sales tax introduced to place the burden on those with income who spend the most, and create a competitive environment between councilsOf course, I believe that mass privatisation of local government is the way to go but, in the meantime, I think that a sales tax is preferable to the current set-up. Indeed, I would go so far as to suggest that we get rid of income tax and NI completely and collect all taxes as VAT with the pre and post tax prices being prominently displayed.
A libertarian returns to Scotland
"Freedom and Whisky gang thegither"
- Robert Burns
Tuesday, 3 January 2006
Seeing what we pay for
Post-cameronian conservative MSP Brian Monteith has suggested an alternative to the Council Tax:
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Jake-the-Peg
Only having VAT is the most efficient way of collecting tax, but I think the ASI are right that it's fairest to tax everything a little bit (having sales tax only would adversely affect pensioners, for instance)
5 January 2006, 21:06:59 GMT
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Andrew Ian Dodge
There is the other option, to reduce public sector spending.
Yep; that is a good idea. Privitise pretty much everything and let the market decide. Seldon suggested this many years ago.
5 January 2006, 12:05:40 GMT
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APL
Della puts this in quotes...(VAT was supposed to replace income tax).
No, actually, VAT did replace sales tax! in the UK anyway.
Della: "That pretty much means you've got to put the tax on rent, mortgage payments, utilities and food as well as all the other stuff..."
There is the other option, to reduce public sector spending.
5 January 2006, 11:16:46 GMT
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Della
Let me look into my crystal ball and see what would happen:
"Oh my goodness they put on local sales tax without lowering or abolishing any other taxes, what a shocker. A carbon copy of the introduction of VAT..who would have guessed it (VAT was supposed to replace income tax)."
Also if you imagine a 5% sales tax on a home with 1400 council tax there would have to be instead 28000 spent on sales taxable stuff to raise the same amount of cash. That pretty much means you've got to put the tax on rent, mortgage payments, utilities and food as well as all the other stuff unless there was a tonne of tourist shopping in the area.
4 January 2006, 16:53:46 GMT
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Martin Kelly
David,
No doubt it's a good idea in principle, but, with online retailing increasing, would it be workable?
4 January 2006, 16:52:19 GMT
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Michele
Didn't get it. As a libertarian I support the method of fares related to provided services and not undistiguished taxation (as VAT or Income Tax). Am I wrong? Thanks in advance for any clarification and sorry about my broken English!Michele (In Scotland since September)
4 January 2006, 15:59:22 GMT
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steves
An easy solution is to scrap VAT, make all local funding local not a central goverment hand out and use a local sales tax at point of sale clearly displayed.
All goods should be taxed so everyone in the community pays something.
This should encourage tax competition between regions, and allow for distinct tax and spend policies at elections.
Sound like a formula for the national goverments of England/wales/sotland/NI as well
Should replace all NI and income tax easily enough
4 January 2006, 12:26:48 GMT
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APL
DF: "I would go so far as to suggest that we get rid of income tax and NI completely and collect all taxes as VAT with the pre and post tax prices being prominently displayed."
I am with you there. But I bet Mr Monteith isn't. I am prepared to bet he sees a sales tax on top of VAT?
[Quickly reading the article] Yes, he does too.
Given that VAT is the EU tax, does that mean that Mr Monteith is an outer?
4 January 2006, 12:05:14 GMT
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Andrew Ian Dodge
I agree that might be the way to go. It would certainly reduce the amount of leeches bureaucrats required by the Inland Revenue to collect and manage the taxes. It would simplify things greatly and make the level of taxation more obvious for the ordinary punter.
4 January 2006, 12:00:06 GMT
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