FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Subject: Insight on tax...read on

April 2009

Following the recent hike in the UK higher tax rate to 50%, it's worth reminding ourselves of how the tax system in the UK works.  This easy-to-understand example should make it all clear.

Suppose that every day, ten men go for beer (NOT AT THE GEORGE AND DRAGON
OBVIOUSLY) and the bill for all ten comes to £100.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes it would go something like this:-

• The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
• The fifth would pay £1
• The sixth would pay £3
• The seventh would pay £7
• The eighth would pay £12
• The ninth would pay £18
• The tenth man (the richest) would pay £59

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the pub every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement until one day, the owner decided to change the rules. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by £20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just £80.'

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected; they would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers?  How could they divide the £20 windfall so everyone would get his 'fair share?'  They worked out that £20 divided by 6 is £3.33.  But if they subtracted that from everyone's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.  So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill proportionately and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:

• The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings)
• The sixth now paid £2 instead of £3 (33%savings)
• The seventh now paid £5 instead of £7 (28% savings)
• The eighth now paid £9 instead of £12 (25% savings)
• The ninth now paid £14 instead of £18 (22% savings)
• The tenth now paid £49 instead of £59 (16% savings)

Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the pub, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a pound out of the £20,' declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got £10!'

'Yes, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a pound, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I did.'

'That's true' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get £10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks.'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor.'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him.  But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important - they didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill.

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, journalists, economists and social commentators, is how our tax system works.  The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore.  In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier and the weather is nicer.