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Sources for 'How Long do you Work for the Tax Man?'

All figures correct at 9th March 2010 1.    GDP at basic prices (GDP minus indirect taxes) http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/oie1109.pdf 2.    Hours of work http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_social/Social-Trends40/ST40_Ch04.pdf 3.    Median earnings (for 2008-09, so they have been uprated by 2 percent) http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15313 4.    Tax status http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm 5.    Employee national insurance rates http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/nic.htm 6.    Spending on VAT... Read more...

Non-job of the week

It seems the new year has brought in more dubious jobs and high salaries. Take this one from the London Borough of Islington who require a new chief executive. Once again someone in the public sector is set to receive more pay than the prime minister. In the case of Islington,... Read more...

Peer into court

Lord Taylor of Warwick faces a third day in court today, as his trial on charges relating to his expenses continues.  The trial, taking place at Southwark Crown Court in London, has attracted high levels of media attention.  The 58-year-old former Tory peer faces six counts of false accounting, relating... Read more...

We need a tax system HMRC can understand

It’s not just business, jobs and productivity which suffer under the pressure of Britain’s ridiculously over-complicated tax system. Almost half a million PAYE tax-payers will have to pay an extra £180m in extra income tax for the 2007/08 tax year. This is on top of the 6 million already identified... Read more...

Traffic warning signs in Irish?

Recently it has been reported by the BBC, that both Irish and Ulster-Scots signs could become common place all over Northern Ireland. Conor Murphy, the minister of the Department for Regional Development and Sinn Fein MP has come out and stated that, "We have obligations under the European Charter for the... Read more...

And your sexual tastes?

It’s bad enough filling in those time-wasting forms designed by overpaid bureaucrats that want to know your gender and race, but now they’ve added another level of personal enquiry. They want to know your sexual preference. In Bath, this sparked rebellion among 1650 community health and social service workers who... Read more...

New Year's Day fines have been refunded

A follow-up on the New Year's Day parking story I wrote about last week. After the initial story was reported in the Hull & East Riding Mail, the council did a U-turn. It said it would refund the fines as a goodwill gesture. It cited confusion because New Year's Day... Read more...

Parking Wardens out in force on New Year’s Day

Motorists are used to being treated as cash-cows by the government, and local councils are no exception. One of my fears for the year ahead is councils trying to raise as much revenue as possible by issuing fines to drivers. Many councils throughout the country have significantly increased the amount... Read more...

A meeting of minds to map out the future of tax

On Tuesday the 18th of January 2011 the newly formed 2020 Tax Commission will meet for the first time. The Commission will set out a plan for how Britain's tax system should look by the year 2020. It will embark upon the most thorough investigation of the potential for ambitious... Read more...

Non-job of the Week

An unusual non-job this week. It isn't a vacancy, rather a job that already exists inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). I wonder how many people know about, or have read the blogs of John Pearson?  He is the Head of South East Asia Climate Change, based at the... Read more...

The real weight of public sector promises

I’ve been asked to comment a few times on the story of Paul Mason, the man who has needed NHS care and surgery costing around £1 million over the last ten years because of his size. Reports that he was 70 stone at his heaviest mean he was the fattest... Read more...

Cut taxes for low earners now, Mr Clegg

Nick Clegg today reaffirmed his party’s manifesto commitment to substantially increase the personal allowance (the amount of money everyone can earn before having to pay tax) and Left Foot Forward has pointed out the Treasury wouldn't confirm the policy. This tax reform was perhaps the single most attractive proposal the... Read more...

West Tyrone MLAs or Conceited Councillors?

As a native Northern Irishman living in Cardiff I’m always interested in what is happening back home. But before I start I realise that there are a number of terms by which this little country can be referred to, so considering political sensitivity I will try to include them: we... Read more...

The cost of Britain's eroding economic freedom

Britain has fallen in an influential index of economic freedom. The Washington based Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal lists the UK at 16th, down from 11th place last year and the first time out of the top 15. The index assesses ten components of economic liberty and derives... Read more...

2020 Tax Commission Publications and Releases

Throughout the year the TaxPayers' Alliance will be releasing new research and statistics in support of the 2020 Tax Commission that highlight the complexity of the current tax system.Please check back here for the latest publications, or follow our RSS feeds to have them delivered directly to your computer or... Read more...

Endorsements

Dr Arthur Laffer"We’ve seen over the years how better tax policy can produce more dynamic and prosperous economies. In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan built on the intellectual groundwork laid by supply-side economists and free market think tanks. The policies they put in place revitalised the British and... Read more...

What is the 2020 Tax Commission?

The TaxPayers’ Alliance has established the 2020 Tax Commission with the Institute of Directors. Families and businesses in the UK are taxed far too much and the system is far too complicated. The work of this Commission will look at ways to address these problems.The Chancellor has called our tax... Read more...

The Forsyth Commission

The Tax Reform Commission chaired by Lord Forsyth was commissioned in 2005 by then Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, and given three terms of reference: To examine the impact of recent developments in international tax policy, including in Britain’s tax system and on Britain’s international competitiveness. To prepare... Read more...

MP Eric Illsley admits dishonestly claiming expenses

Update:  If Eric Illsley gets a sentence of less than 12 months, taxpayers could be forced to keep paying his salary while he is in prison.  The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics has a petition on the issue calling for him to resign.  You can sign it here.MP Eric Illsley... Read more...

MP's expenses trial set to begin

The trial of MP Eric Illsley is expected to begin today.The former Labour representative for Barnsley Central, will appear at Southwark Crown Court in London today, in connection with charges relating to his parliamentary expenses.The 55-year-old MP faces three charges of false accounting, relating to three years of expenses claimed... Read more...

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