Toynbee - "tax returns of every citizen must be made public"

[excel monkey]

Polly Toynbee wants everyone's tax return to be made available for public scrutiny.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/0...

Already a reality in some Scandi coutries. Good idea or bad? Would you want your colleagues and friends/enemies knowing how much you earn?

[carmonk]

It's none of their business. Just another way in which privacy is being eroded.

[otolith]

Only if benefit receipts are also made public.

[AndrewW-G]

More invasion of privacy!

Can't see it happening, for a number of reasons, including how the information is used . . . . for example, a thief could use the data to identify the most suitable victims

[pingu393]

It would end up with people wondering how others seem to live a better standard of life than them on less money.

Lots of HMRC investigations that simply highlight the better tax avoiders .

[Phil1]

Wonder if she can manage some "moral shame at earning multiples more than others who work as hard or harder?"

[Countdown]

It would be nice to know how much people contribute financially to society

[Countdown]

It would be nice to know how much people contribute financially to society

[Blue62]

Countdown said:

It would be nice to know how much people contribute financially to society

Is that the point of this? Do they publish this info in certain countries as a means of 'rewarding' those who make the bigger/biggest contributions? Do people think that this is a fair and proper way for an advanced society to function?

[AndrewW-G]

Countdown said:

It would be nice to know how much people contribute financially to society

Why?

I can see a point with politicians and senior civil servants / public sector employees, all in the name of value for money and company accounts have some figures for the directors. Anything else is just pandering to the current climate of envy.

[Countdown]

Blue62 said:

Countdown said:

It would be nice to know how much people contribute financially to society

Is that the point of this? Do they publish this info in certain countries as a means of 'rewarding' those who make the bigger/biggest contributions? Do people think that this is a fair and proper way for an advanced society to function?

Maybe not "reward". Perhaps recognition of the contribution they make?

I think the point is probably to get neighbours to snitch on each other about tax avoidance/evasion.

[AndrewW-G]

And I can just see the "fun" certain employees and unions would have with this

[carmonk]

Countdown said:

I think the point is probably to get neighbours to snitch on each other about tax avoidance/evasion.

Rare that I agree with you but IMO that's exactly what it's for.

[Mark Benson]

Polly "Marie Antionette" Toynbee wants everyone's tax returns published?

The po-faced, Tuscan Villa owning hypocrite ought to be careful what she wishes for IMO.

[fido]

Mark Benson said:

The po-faced, Tuscan Villa owning hypocrite ought to be careful what she wishes for IMO.

Why - she is well aware that she earns alot less than Richard Littlejohn?

[hornetrider]

This is complete bks. If the government didn't want people to use the tax system as best they can, there would be no 'tax system'.

[excel monkey]

otolith said:

Only if benefit receipts are also made public.

This was mentioned in the comments on the Guardian article.

I agree with the comments above that this is extremely unlikely to happen in this country. I'm amazed the Swedes and Norwegians allow it, despite their famous egalitarianism.

Having said that, I think most of us already have a vague idea of what our friends and colleagues earn. Certainly in my industry (finance sector), if you know someone's job title and rough age, then you have a reasonable idea what salary they are on.

[Bing o]

Well, my tax return is 0 so Toynbee and the rest of her ilk can go fk themselves. What a horrid little place the UK has become.

[MX7]

Stupid idea. It's not anyone else's business.

I guess it was predictable that some idiot would suggest this, and they did.

[Gene Vincent]

Not the tax return, but 'tax paid'... that would expose fraudsters, embezzlers and a whole multitude of other thefts.

Still an overwhelming revulsion against it though.

Bad idea.