Change taxation to build a better society | Letters
Owen Jones's discussion of tax seeks to put forward a "radical" agenda but is actually strikingly conservative, especially because of its focus on higher income tax rates (Tax radicals? McDonnell and Corbyn are not radical enough, 16 February). This focus is unhelpfully constraining for two reasons.
First, income tax now matters much less than it used to - it has fallen from over half of total UK revenue in the 1970s to about 30% today. There have been compensating rises in VAT and national insurance contributions, and the second of these especially is ripe for radical reform. Second, within income tax, the focus on the rates is far too narrow. How much tax is paid is hugely affected by the tax base, and the allowances given. The most indefensible of these is the allowance for pension contributions at the higher rates, a huge bonus for the better-off. George Osborne seemed to be shaping up to do something about these, but then bottled it.
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