Tax Rate Should Be Simplified To Single 30% Rate To Boost Growth, Report Says

PA/The Huffington Post UK  |  Posted: Updated: 21/05/2012 08:47

A single 30% rate of income tax and further public spending cuts are needed to boost growth, according to a report backed by a campaign group and business leaders.

The major study demands simplification of the UK's tax system, including the abolition of national insurance and stamp duty.

The report, by the 2020 Tax Commission, claims the changes would result in a £3,400 tax cut for a two-earner household with an income of around £28,000 and could lead to an 8.4% increase in the UK's gross domestic product after 15 years.

The commission, a joint project between the TaxPayers' Alliance and Institute of Directors, calls for 30% tax rates on income and capital.

Under the plans national insurance contributions would be scrapped, with a single 30% rate of tax on income and a £10,000 personal allowance.

Corporation tax and capital gains tax would be replaced with a 30% tax on dividends, interest and rent.

Inheritance tax and stamp taxes on shares would be scrapped along with air passenger duty, while fuel duty would be cut by 5p under the proposals.

single income tax

Taxation would be limited to a third of national income, as would public spending - meaning an extension until 2020 of cuts in government expenditure.

Councils would see their grants from central government cut but would be given new powers to impose local income and sales taxes.

The proposal to shift to the single income tax would increase the budget deficit by £49.1 billion in the first year if the changes were not phased in or if there were no further cuts to public spending.

But the commission predicts that the boost to the economy would result in a £35 billion fall in annual borrowing after 15 years.

Allister Heath, chairman of the 2020 Tax Commission and editor of City A.M., said: "It is time for Britain to make a vital choice between tweaking the status quo and letting our economy continue to be crippled by complex and punitive taxes, and drastically changing course with a radical but realistic plan for a tax system fit for the 21st century.

"The 2020 Tax Commission has set out that plan and would ensure that income is taxed once at a single, much more reasonable rate. It could create the conditions to establish the UK as a global trading hub, generating renewed prosperity for all those who live and work here.

"Politicians who are serious about Britain's future need to take it up."

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the government's priority should be to "ease the pressure" on families: "Tax reform is essential to make that possible."

Graeme Leach, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, said: "This is a radical and practical plan for reforming our tax system to make it fairer and better for the economy.

"Fiddling with the system causes more complexity and has little benefit to growth - this proposal would put a rocket under economic confidence.

"This is a real opportunity to make life easier for people, get more money on the high street and give Britain a tax system which is right in principle and works in practice.

"We need radical action to kickstart the economy, and this is a comprehensive way to do that in one go."

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A single 30% rate of income tax and further public spending cuts are needed to boost growth, according to a report backed by a campaign group and business leaders. The major study demands simplific...
A single 30% rate of income tax and further public spending cuts are needed to boost growth, according to a report backed by a campaign group and business leaders. The major study demands simplific...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jessjesskk
Benevolent Zombie Power
08:22 AM on 05/22/2012
It seems reasonable for all except inheritance tax... this is the key one to avoid perpetuation of inegalities. If anything inheritance tax should be huge above a certain threshold.... not scrapped.
07:14 PM on 05/21/2012
Why no copy the Australians and require all foreign workers to pay 50% tax?
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Reality always bites
Sometimes just a bit peckish
06:35 PM on 05/21/2012
William Pitt the younger introduced income tax nearly 200 years ago.
This to raise revenue to help pay for the Napoleonic wars.
Now if the UK would just stop getting involved in all these wars- We could all stop paying tax.
Surely that is a better solution than messing about with the rates again!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Mark B Robertson
06:13 PM on 05/21/2012
Fortunately, there is a reply on the IPPR website comprehensively rubbishing it, laying out the reasons why the report is rightwing nuttery.
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05:26 PM on 05/21/2012
Pony up !
04:58 PM on 05/21/2012
No government will ever implement such a system as this would result in less people working for the state. There is a reason why there is so much red tape it helps government create jobs, someone got to tick all those boxes.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
victor999
Pursue truth at all costs
04:05 PM on 05/21/2012
When will business and the Government learn that the key to growth lies with the consumer - not less taxes for the rich. Give the consumer confidence that they won't lose their jobs, they won't lose their houses, they won't be taxed out of existence bailing out the banks and you will suddenly find that people will start buying.

And when people buy, business grows! What is hard to understand about this simple principle?????
01:41 PM on 05/21/2012
If i read these polices right it is a case of the rich getting richer and to heck with the poor. Basically who cares about the poor or unemployed or penioners. What happens to those earning , £50.000 , 100,000 or more.How much extra will they recieve? This is their idea of fairness? Instead of supporting this why do they not suggest getting rid of all the tax havens, holes and fiddles. At the moment companies would rather pay accountants than the taxman. This thatchers idea of Great Britain .Just look at the Poll Tax to confirm this.
01:35 PM on 05/21/2012
Yes, let's cut the top tax rate by 15%! Let's extend the harshest cuts in a generation to 2020! Let's permanently cripple Government spending (the largest beneficiaries of which are the poor), while scrapping inheritance tax, air tax, stamp duty and fuel duty (all of which primarily benefit the rich). In short, let's screw the middle and working class and give everything we can to the 'job creators'.

This proposal is a sham, nothing more. Councils would see their budgets slashed, but would have the power to impose new, local taxes in order to get their spending levels up. Which councils will need to impose the most taxes? The ones who spend most to support their community. Which councils are those? The ones in the poorest areas.

The fact that this staggeringly one sided, all out declaration of war on the poor and middle classes is being taken seriously is bad enough (naturally Cameron is in favour). The fact that it's been out for almost a day with no critical media (would it be that hard to point out that the poor would be disproportionately hit instead of just reprinting the press release?) or progressive pushback (I have no faith in Labour doing anything that might anger the rich) is criminal.
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12:37 PM on 05/21/2012
Wouldn't a progressive rate of tax be fairer? The more you 'earn' (for that, read 'take from the company') the higher your rate of tax - after all, top earners appear to get more money than they can spend!

I've always wondered why people who earn little money are 'incentivised' by the threat of losing their jobs and people who earn huge amounts are 'incentivised' by the offer of even more money. Mind you, it is those people at the top of the heap who make the rules!
12:31 PM on 05/21/2012
Therefore, You earn £200 pay £60 tax....... ballance £140, CONSUMEABLES,.... At garage fill car, pay £80 (£50 tax) ballance £60,..... Shopping, insurances power and light £60 (£12+ tax)
Total tax on this £200 = £122 (60+% and climbing)-----> the GARAGE, SHOP, BROKER and SUPPLIERS also pay tax, which would equate to the same rate,..."!!
Our government have fixed tax's on all items that need to be regularly replenished,.. this is the same as pyramid selling, which I thought was illegal..
Our pyramid is top heavy, Suggest all employees paid in excess of £54,000pa from the tax bucket halved to at least that figure...
12:25 PM on 05/21/2012
Don't we always find that the people with money suggest the damdest things 30% income tax increase for all. Well no why should we pay for your labours ho! sorry some of you do not LABOUR.
More rises in this climate when lots of peopleand more eachday are on the bread line. Tut Tut.

The person who mentioned cameron interfering in Greece agine we are not members and should have no right in this polictical uncertanty. Alsowhat about Afgahnistan we pull out and give aid. That country has more wealth in the ground that we eenvisage,gas, gold,uranium just to name a few. I agree stop all aid stop our payment into the eurozone and do not give payments to the people who think we are a free state toeveryone including our own people.

TTFN have a good day lol
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Raymond Soltysek
12:23 PM on 05/21/2012
Utter rubbish. There is no evidence that low tax rates on the rich creates jobs.
12:19 PM on 05/21/2012
If everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, paid 30% tax then the amount taken in by the Inland Revenue would actually INCREASE.

The problem seems to be though, that all those on lower incomes would pay ALL of their taxes because most of them would be on PAYE, whereas the very rich will just have their accountants carry on finding more ways to avoid paying.

Therefore, the end result would be that the amount of tax taken in would, in all probability, drop.

The next logical step would then be to increase taxes on other items, hitting the power paid again.
12:17 PM on 05/21/2012
Taxation would be limited to a third of national income, as would public spending - meaning an extension until 2020 of cuts in government expenditure.
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Getting to 33% as total spend is not feasible. Or maybe it is. Let us also place a 33% tax on all assets of the wealthy. Not their income - their assets. That can finance the transition to the simple system. That 33% could pay down government debt to ZERO.

I am sure the patriotic wealthy will support this small amendment to the proposal.