What do we get for our tax money

[JoolzB]

I was watching Q Time last night and just thinking about how much we pay in tax and what we actually get back. Stuff like policing, road lighting etc that we all benefit from is paid from local council tax. So all I could really think of was

1) Schools
2) NHS
3) Armed forces
4) Matey on the social

The 60%(after VAT etc) or whatever it is that we pay in tax doesn't seem to go far? Or is it good value for money and I'm missing somein?

[slapmatt]

The welfare state is the single biggest cost to the Government and the State pension takes up the largest chunk of that.

[JoolzB]

Yeah they were going on about pensions which is what made me think of where all the cash goes.

[slapmatt]

[url]www.tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/fiscalpolicy/public_spending.htm[/url]

Here's a link, with a pretty picture!

[Parrot of doom]

Council tax only contributes to those costs - central government gives the rest to the council.

[james_j]

In answer to the question: a lot of managers.

[JoolzB]

slapmatt said:

[url]www.tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/fiscalpolicy/public_spending.htm[/url] Here's a link, with a pretty picture!

Thank you. The picture helps alot.

[simpo two]

I don't use schools, libraries, swimming pools, or Enterprise Managers, or Departments of Leisure, and if I need a hospital I expect I'll end up paying for it.

I want a refund.

[minornut]

I noticed that only £9billion was spent on transport - How much of the government income is raised from transport?

[scorp]

minornut said:

I noticed that only £9billion was spent on transport - How much of the government income is raised from transport?

According to this www.dvla.gov.uk/public/annual_reports_2004-05.pdf
£4.9 billion recieved in road tax.

[Einion Yrth]

scorp said:

minornut said: I noticed that only £9billion was spent on transport - How much of the government income is raised from transport? According to this www.dvla.gov.uk/public/annual_reports_2004-05.pdf £4.9 billion recieved in road tax.

Don't foeget fuel tax and insurance premium tax, mind plus VAT on sales and repairs, and fuel, and fuel tax.

[JoolzB]

scorp said:

minornut said: I noticed that only £9billion was spent on transport - How much of the government income is raised from transport? According to this www.dvla.gov.uk/public/annual_reports_2004-05.pdf £4.9 billion recieved in road tax.

Yeah and loads and loads from tax on fuel, £36 billion was the figure I was told a few years back.

[minornut]

scorp said:

minornut said: I noticed that only £9billion was spent on transport - How much of the government income is raised from transport? According to this www.dvla.gov.uk/public/annual_reports_2004-05.pdf £4.9 billion recieved in road tax.

And if we add in fuel duty and VAT on the already taxed fuel.....

[scorp]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/pre_budg

£32 billion from fuel tax..

and that was in 2000! (probably 45 billion or something now)

>> Edited by scorp on Friday 2nd December 13:12

[FourWheelDrift]

JoolzB said:

WHAT DO WE GET FOR OUR TAX MONEY

Rogered..........royally.

[Einion Yrth]

FourWheelDrift said:

JoolzB said: WHAT DO WE GET FOR OUR TAX MONEY Rogered..........royally.

And we don't even get a reach around.

[alexkp]

FourWheelDrift said:

JoolzB said: WHAT DO WE GET FOR OUR TAX MONEY Rogered..........royally.

Surely you mean the warm fuzzy feeling you get from keeping Johnny Chav in Booze and Fags so that he doesn't have to exert himself by working and has enough time left to burgle your house and vandelise your car?

I, on the other hand, am delighted to be paying for the medical treatment and housing, food and families of a whole bunch of people who shouldn't be here in the first place.

Thank goodness we all agree it is better to give, and give, and give, and give than to receive.

[alexkp]

The staggering figure is the amount spent on benfits - far more than anything else and twice what the NHS costs, and more than twice what education costs - and bear in mind that includes paying all the doctors, nurses, managers, teachers etc, as well as equipping the hospitals and schools.

Or put it another way, benefits cost us more than the NHS, Education and Transport put together - incredible.

The benefits system in this country simply costs far, far too much.

[JoolzB]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yeah I totally agree. The pension problems that they were talking about on q time could probably be partially fixed by looking at the money it is costing everyone to pay out for looking after others, some of whom are more confortable on the rock 'n role than they could ever be working. Life is so unfair at times

[Witchfinder]

The civil service is bloated. I'd axe the Sport/Culture department, simplify the taxation system and cut the Inland Revenue in half, reduce NHS budget by sacking 70% of managers. Pass on half of the value of savings in the form of tax cuts, and spend the other half on transport, police, front-line health services and armed forces.

I'd also reduce spending on benefits - 60% of the savings would go into setting up savings funds for future pensions, the rest would go into education. Red-tape would be eliminated wherever possible. Instead of collecting tax and then paying it back in the form of benefits, it'd never go through government coffers in the first place. Various circumstances would simply increase your personal allowance.

Of course, I'm just an armchair chancellor though. Dunno if any of that would work.