Your top ten policies.

[Streetwalker]

Actually, for as long as I can remember the tax guides state openly inheritance tax IS a death tax but as they can't actually tax you, they tax your beneficiaries

They can try 

[johnofgwent]

Its not a death tax its inheritence tax . You can die leaving £2m and none of it is taxable if its left to 8 people  (250K each)

I would abolish inheritence tax altogether ,its an unfair tax with too many variables

Actually, for as long as I can remember the tax guides state openly inheritance tax IS a death tax but as they can't actually tax you, they tax your beneficiaries

[Streetwalker]

I suggest Inheritance Tax is ready for reform. My reform would have the first £2m of the deceased's estate exempt. There are current rules that can raise the threshold to £500,000, plus other modest tweaks. But generally IHT is 40% on anything above £325,000.

Its not a death tax its inheritence tax . You can die leaving £2m and none of it is taxable if its left to 8 people  (250K each) 

I would abolish inheritence tax altogether ,its an unfair tax with too many variables 

[patman post]

I suggest Inheritance Tax is ready for reform. My reform would have the first £2m of the deceased's estate exempt. There are current rules that can raise the threshold to £500,000, plus other modest tweaks. But generally IHT is 40% on anything above £325,000.

Rising property prices can clobber cash-poor dependants and survivors. In London and other bigger cities, even modest three-bedroom terrace houses can hit £1m.

Currently, IHT raises about £6bn a year. This will rise as property values continue to rise.

[srb7677]

Give me an example of some of these so called loopholes that can be plugged.

I am no expert and cannot without researching the matter which I don't have the time for right now. Yet that they must exist is obvious because how else can tax be legally avoided on such an industrial scale?

[Nick]

If you think they still won't avoid paying as much tax as they can avoid paying - whatever the rate - you are being extremely naive.

The answer is to close most of the loopholes they exploit and mandate a minimum percentage of tax payable by law regardless of loopholes.

Give me an example of some of these so called loopholes that can be plugged. 

[Borchester]

Sadly it isn't. I could produce several teachers in secondary schools who could vouch for what I claim. One was asked not to voice a Conservative opinion in class while Labour teachers were not told the same. That came from her Head Master. Another who was vilified in the staff room because of her Conservative views. These teachers were only too happy to share their views with their classes. There are 2 others with similar experiences. It is naive to imagine that left indoctrination is not happening in Schools and universities and has done for years.

True.

I have heard plenty of casual anti white racism and right on lefty propaganda in staff rooms and the only person who ever countered it was me.And that was only because I was bored and a maths supply teacher, which meant that I could do and say pretty much whatever I liked.

The problem with teachers is that most of them go straight from school into teacher training and then onto the chalkface and that is it. Nice enough folk, but with very little idea of the real world.

[cromwell]

Good topic

I dont think it should be based on age at all but on the contributions to the pot . The more % of your income you pay in the more say you have .
That means the unemployed ,kids , non working  pensioners, rich tax dodgers  and freeloaders dont get a vote .You could add some self employed brickies though to be fair it wouldnt make a hell of a lot of difference to them anyway .

abolish vat
abolish tax on beer
all kids go to their local school
no super stores allowed in towns
private health care option (redution in tax/NI )
Forget green /carbon zero targets , its a load of horse shit
free local transpot
Abolish the BBC
reduce corporation tax
cap on house prices /rents aligned to average incomes

Palace get first pick in a new draft system , Oh was that ten already

Subject to alteration

But why is the fact that many would not vote being used as a justification for denying it to those that would?

You old people constantly go on about the immaturity of young people as if you are the fonts of all wisdom. Judging my your age groups voting patterns and choice of reading, this is highly questionable. I will take no lectures from your age group about how stupid the young supposedly are.

I know that I knew more at 17 than many of the so-called grown ups.

Well enough wisdom to know it's a fount not a font 

Don't have to justify anything and it's not about stupidity either but you don't take lectures but are happy to lecture what you regard as the ignorance and stupidity of oldies.

[T00ts]

That old fable about left wing teachers indoctrinating youngsters is risible nonsense of a kind that is only real in Daily Mail land. Besides which by 16 most people are old enough to think for themselves and the ones without strong opinions wouldnt bother voting anyway.

And you are mistaking oldies sneering at the intelligence, competence, maturity, etc of the young with reasonable objections, and accusing me of sneering for having no truck with this contempt for young peoplE.

Sadly it isn't. I could produce several teachers in secondary schools who could vouch for what I claim. One was asked not to voice a Conservative opinion in class while Labour teachers were not told the same. That came from her Head Master. Another who was vilified in the staff room because of her Conservative views. These teachers were only too happy to share their views with their classes. There are 2 others with similar experiences. It is naive to imagine that left indoctrination is not happening in Schools and universities and has done for years.

[srb7677]

Setting income tax to a flat rate 20% would increase the tax collected as the big earners would be a lot less likely to avoid paying tax at 20%.

If you think they still won't avoid paying as much tax as they can avoid paying - whatever the rate - you are being extremely naive.

The answer is to close most of the loopholes they exploit and mandate a minimum percentage of tax payable by law regardless of loopholes.

[srb7677]

Aw Come on. You are sneering at anyone who puts forward very valid reasons not to give 16 yr olds the vote. They have done it in Scotland for little more reason than confidence they would vote for independence, Here they want it because they are fairly certain they'll vote labour. Since it is becoming very clear that very many Educational establishments have predominately left wing teachers then it follows that the influence on youngsters is that way too. They are simply vote fodder.

That old fable about left wing teachers indoctrinating youngsters is risible nonsense of a kind that is only real in Daily Mail land. Besides which by 16 most people are old enough to think for themselves and the ones without strong opinions wouldnt bother voting anyway.

And you are mistaking oldies sneering at the intelligence, competence, maturity, etc of the young with reasonable objections, and accusing me of sneering for having no truck with this contempt for young peoplE.

[T00ts]

Sneer at young people all you like, you guys, but don't expect me not to be contemptuous of it.

Aw Come on. You are sneering at anyone who puts forward very valid reasons not to give 16 yr olds the vote. They have done it in Scotland for little more reason than confidence they would vote for independence, Here they want it because they are fairly certain they'll vote labour. Since it is becoming very clear that very many Educational establishments have predominately left wing teachers then it follows that the influence on youngsters is that way too. They are simply vote fodder.

[Nick]

I am not averse to a cut in VAT, but the money needs to be found from somewhere.

A flat tax of 20% would be higly regreesive because that is no cut at all for most basic rate taxpayers who pay that already, but a massive cut for higher rate payers. It is thus a massive tax cut costing billions purely for the benefit of higher earners, which is not a wise choice of priorities.

A better deal for farmers seems fair enough but who sets the minimum price and on what basis? And would this not be both inflationary and add to already rocketing food prices? We have enough people relying on food banks already.

A cap on benefits already exists. Any further tightening would simply impose further hardship. And a major component of high welfare bills is extortionate rents by profiteering landlords. Better to reduce this cost at source by capping rents.

I have long favoured scrapping road tax and adding it to fuel in principle, but right now is not the time for increasing fuel duty any further.

I am against speed cameras being used as cash cows.

Giving the entire UK a say on, for example Scottish independence, would be a travesty. You could get a situation where the Scots vote for independence but the more numerous English deny it to them. Imagine if the entire EU were given a vote on Brexit? Whether or not one of the national components of the UK wants to be independent or not is a decision for them, not the rest of us.

The NHS is a victim of too much privatisation and too many managers. Bringing back matrons and bringing all services back in house sounds like a good idea, but it will not be enough alone.

Setting income tax to a flat rate 20% would increase the tax collected as the big earners would be a lot less likely to avoid paying tax at 20%. 

Giving the whole of the U.K. a vote on Indy2 would 100% guarantee they got it. People are sick of all the bleating and want shut of them. 

[srb7677]

And you are not ageist?

Sneer at young people all you like, you guys, but don't expect me not to be contemptuous of it.

[Nick]

There's a lot there I can agree with too except the cap on benefits per household,there are households where they get over that but aren't living the high life.

How is a family bringing in £2500 a month with no commuting costs not on easy street? That's equivalent to a salary of £45 a year.