Should income tax be abolished?

I argue it should.
I argue that income tax is effectively a disincentive or even a penalisation for work.
-in practice it targets the middle classes and lower incomes as the wealthy have the means to avoid it (legally or illegally)
- the middle-class and lower incomes are restricted to remain or even drop economically in strata

I suggest a total clean tax slate and abolition of income tax for gross wages below say Â£100,000 pa, with a flat 10% consumption tax on all goods and services.
A 20% GST on luxury goods (say more than 100% median unit value of similar items) would target the well-heeled to pay their fair share and would be difficult to avoid.
To protect local industry- 10% tariff on all imports prior to GST.
Local industry could apply for tax credits for business related expenditure.

This could lead to a more robust consumer economy, medium and small business scetor and greater social and educational prospects for struggling families.

What are your thoughts?
Additional Details
Well- I think every nation would be run far better by honest normal people rather than idiotic sycophantic elites.
You'd never hire them as private employees.

No, we indirectly help the country to dvelop

Bring it on!

Sounds OK to me.

We've all heard the song:

The tax-man is a bar steward (sic)

There are quite a few criminals that would not have been caught if it had not been for the IRS.

Income tax is only a penalty for work if the % of tax changes with various income brackets, which is the case in the US.

Having a lower middle class income, I know from personal experience what you are taking about. One year I am getting a refund, I get a small raise, and the next year I am paying $100's instead of getting about $200 back! The bracket system is where things are screwed up and where success gets punished.

I would be for abolition of taxes below $100 k, but what happens if my income ever goes above $100 k? Bingo! Exact same problem I am facing this year!

Consumption taxes disproportionately penalize those in the lowest income brackets as things become less affordable, although it does also tax tourists and transients. It's also very difficult to track via internet purchases. The same goes with some luxury goods.

I would be for greater tax on destructive luxury goods that burden society, such as habits that impact the health of others, such as smoking, and vehicles that have a demonstrated record of damage and endangerment, such as SUVs with heavily tinted windows.

Tariffs are interesting. I have seen one tariff for a small country that amounts to 100% tax on imported motor vehicles and their components! It certainly made an impact on careful selection of extensive use vehicles such as taxis!

Credits are how people get out of paying taxes already in the USA.

One major oversight in tax and economic policy is a failure to understand the impact and importance of spending at the lowest income population. Some people stupidly think that wealth "trickles down" to the rest of the population. Nothing could be more ignorant. The wealthy like to compete with one another and hoard wealth as a result. But where, then, does this money come from? Check out Wal-Mart or any other multi-billion dollar business. The wealth comes from selling to EVERYONE. If most people are cut out of the ability to buy, then the product or service becomes a niche and increasingly hostage to an ever smaller group of consumers. Henry Ford apparently got this concept with paying his employees enough to afford his products, but lately the wealthy in the US have grown complacent and stupid. They need their sorry fool selves taxed to death so that the dumb dead wood gets out and people with intelligence get in. Can you imagine paying some fool $100's of millions to bring your company to ruin? What gross stupidity is that? I was working there I'd get the whole company together to find and lynch the fool leader and the fool board that hired him, yet Americans appear to be complacent with mediocre and getting messed over.

So I agree, taxes in the US and, presumably, GB are somewhat messed up, but I don't agree to totally eliminate income tax - just income tax simplification (although simpletons that can't calculate a percentage might disagree with my interpretation of "simplification.")

it absolutely should. Lord knows our government makes enough money off of sales taxes and property taxes. To take part of my paycheck that I earn seems inexcusable, just so they can find idiotic and unnecessary ways to spend it.

Another reason I agree is because when the American Revolution was started, the colonies, when adjusted for inflation, were only being charged a mere 3% of what we are today. It's about time our government quit robbing us blind to fund causes like Iraq that we don't even agree with. It's time Congress stops voting to approve pay raises for themselves, and it's time that we stop letting them get away with all this crap.

Abolishing it is not the answer but raising the tax threshold is a better incentive for wage earners.I find the minimum wage a joke,it is not enough to live on(unless you are 16 and live at home with Mum and Dad) and then to tax is it an insult,then you have to go through the humiliating performance of benefits to bring you up to an acceptable level of income!!!What a farce,make the minimum wage a living wage Â£8 p hr should do it,and do'nt tax it.Tax should not be paid on the first Â£20k of income and then 10% on the next Â£10k,20% on the nextÂ£10k,30% on anything over that.No tax breaks for the super rich and anybody earning more than Â£50k per annum should not be entitled to NHS or free education.They must pay for medical insurance and private education.These of course would qualify for an extra tax allowance thereby giving more people the choice and leaving help for the lower paid.

that sounds good to me
so hurry up and get into No11

I TOTALLY AGREE with YOU! I believe that income taxes should be abolished because we already pay enough taxes on every thing else that we purchase. Why do we buy a home when we have to pay property taxes. We never truely own it when we will still be paying the government. Income taxes suck and we should end it forever!!!!!

I'd support either a flat tax (every person has the same percentage of their income taxed), or a national sales tax. I think the flat tax would work better though. Our current system is socialistic in nature; it's just a means of redistributing wealth.

i go along with you exactly B.o.B but it has been suggested along those lines for many years and no-one's listening//there must be a more fair way as i've alway suggested anyone on PAYE gets clobbered most in comparison

It should, I hate income tax. Basically it wealth redistribution, which is wrong. There are plenty of other taxes to support government.

Have you worked out how much that would bring in, and compared it against costs to be paid, like Police, Fire service, Army, Navy, Airforce, outstanding debt to foreign countries, pensions costs,social housing etc etc to seeifit's enough tocoverthe costs. Remember, there may be years of backlog loansto cover..
Probably hard to do as the government won't give out that info, if they even know it. Such a radical change would take decades to do. Even if the sums worked out, it would be almost impossible to do it in our lifetimes. Just getting the public to agree to it might take 5 years, then another 10 for parliament to actually start anything.

Be nice but then how would we fund the NHS, education etc?

I view it as the more he gets, the more I get.

I agree, however moving from an income tax to a consumption tax who wreck the economy in the process.

Income tax is a necessary evil.

you get my vote when are you standing for election ?

Even if we used sales taxes and tarriffs, the price of items would all increase and we would pay out the nose anyway... Income tax is a lot better than property tax especially for funding schools... Ohio is torn apart right now because they use property taxes to fund schools... there are schools in southern ohio that have to have class in closets and walk to bathroooms in different places..... I mean i think it is better to spread the tax around... a little sales.. a little property... a little income... If you just tax goods you are still penilising people who make the most money because they can afford the most stuff... It is all a visious cycle...

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