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I don't think you have much idea of how business works, or for that matter, where government gets most of its money from...I'll give you a clue..its not from income tax.
While youre at it about banks and energy companies why not have a go about the pharmaceutical industry and the profits its made from Covid vaccines?
For months there has been a section of society really struggling to cope with the current situation regarding energy prices. From the beginning of next month, many of these people will have to find more than five hundred pounds a year more to pay for their energy before it reaches the level where the freezing of annual charges at £2.500 comes into force.
You have the means to pay £2,500 a year for your energy I presume as do I know because I qualified for the state pension in February, but, if all of this had been happening in 2021, I would not have been able to cope financially.
The proposals unveiled yesterday help, of course they do, but, for me, when faced with the choice between aiding people and money (business), the Tories, as they always do, have, effectively, sided with the money, What we've got is help today, which will have to be paid for by us, not the people who are really benefiting financially from the current situation, tomorrow - of course, it's better than nothing, but I think it's out of step with the current mood of the country.
Still amazes me that anyone can tell any difference which political party is running the country, I’m 50, seen a few and just the same old sh*t with a different colour label. You pay tax, bills and your mortgage and earn a crust…….we live in a country of moaners so I guess there will always be something to fuss over.
Everyone will get £400 off bills for 6 months..ie £66 off their bills. I live in a two bed flat and I'll almost certainly be paying less for fuel this winter than any point in my life.
People on the following benefits will also receive £650 in two one-off sums, the first of which came a month or so ago. The next in October. People can spend that how they like.
Universal Credit
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income Support
Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit
My understanding is that will not be a freezing of annual charge. The unit price of energy will be set so that the average household will pay no more than £2,500.
And who are the 'we' that will have to pay for it, and who are the people really benefiting financially?
As Ive said earlier income tax generates less than 25% of government income, and around half of all adults do not pay any.
You keep on about how people on deferent benefits are better off, but how about pensioners, and low paid workers whose income falls just outside the threshold to claim those benefits.
in my own case my income falls £1 27p above the threshold so I am unable to claim pension credit.
my utility bill was £75 a month, this has gone up to £182 a month, can you please explain how I can pay this, because I don't qualify for the free gas and electric you claim you will be getting this year.
It goes without saying that sometimes those who fall just outside the threshold for benefits are often in difficult positions and it won't be an easy winter.
In my position; I pay £65 a month to Shell for Gas and Electric. I routinely use around half of that, so there is a surplus. I anticipate it going up from October (not sure how much yet) but £66 will be knocked off that.
I would imagine your £182 doesn't include the £66 to be taken off, although I don't know.
None of this is perfect. We live in a time when the cost of fuel is extremely high due overwhelmingly to a war in Europe. But the announcement does mitigate against the worst excesses of what we would have faced and those on benefits are helped more.
So oil/gas companies are going to exceed usual profits by 170 billion over the next two years because we are at war. Shell and BP are going to take their part of that 170 billion and invest a fraction into the UK (potentially in things that don't align with the future energy security needs of the average punter) and pocket the rest.
Ordinary people - lose
Uk economy - lose
Oil/gas giants - win
We aren't debating whether or not people should be supported, we are debating why, yet again, during hard times (times of war even) the system is designed to make sure the rich keep getting richer.
I don't think there is any tangible evidence that having a windfall tax to pay for some of this support will affect future growth. Whilst not having one certainly will mean is a tightening of the belt in the future, worse education, worse healthcare, less police. For the first time in my life it really feels like the UK is a dead man walking.
I saw a picture on Reddit the other day of a car park tariff. £13 for one hour, £25 for two, etc. With the header something like 'you know there is something wrong when a parking space earns more than a person'. Something to ponder.
I know the UK government don’t want to pi$$ off the big foreign companies ie the oil companies ( anyone know who exactly owns them would be good to know?) but I think a compromise is needed as the profits are obscene and if it’s the Russians and Putin pocketing these profits then the world has gone mad.
I was paying £184 a month anyway due to my wife always being f in freezing so I guess I can crank it on up and not give a toss now…..
The Labour Party has come up with a brilliant wheeze which many people believe. Let's use a windfall tax to pay for the energy increases and tax these nasty companies they say. That will go down well with the population.
The reality is that a second windfall tax (over and above the 65% they already pay) won't go anywhere near paying for the energy crisis but who cares if that brilliant idea will get one over on the Tories. They must think we are dumb but clearly the population must be if they really believe a second windfall tax is the answer to their problems. The amounts of money required are eye watering and it is only economic growth that will get us out of this mess. The public won't end up paying that much (only 30.3% of income tax is accounted for in government revenue) which is the belief of many. If the economy stagnates we are stuffed.
The "brilliant wheeze" is gullible people like you thinking these companies pay a tax rate of 65%.
Oil and gas companies pay 30% corporation tax and a supplementary rate of 10% They can reduce this by factoring in losses and decommissioning North Sea oil platforms. As a consequence, companies like BP and Shell have paid virtually no tax in the UK. They have very clever accountants and the fact that our current prime minister used to be one is purely coincidental
In fact both companies have actually received more money back from the goverment than tax paid every year since 2015.
In the three months to June this year Shell made a profit of £9bn and BP £6.9bn.
Explain again why we shouldn't have a windfall tax?
Can you explain the recent comments from the CEO of BP (I think) who stated that his company was like a cash machine and had more money than they knew what to do with?
Where did I say we shouldn't have a windfall tax? What I was saying is that a second windfall tax would not go anywhere near paying for the energy crisis and the Labour Party has been very clever in convincing people that one would be of such significance.
You are correct that Shell and BP have very clever accountants and for the reason you explain these accountants would be able to dodge a second windfall tax in the same way they will be likely to avoid the first. I agree that the 65% tax rate is largely irrelevant and that few will pay much of it. So, why do you think a second tax is likely to be any better.
I'm pleased that you now think there should be a windfall tax and that your 65% figure was bollocks.
The way around clever accountants is for the government to enact effective, watertight policy. Having a PM who was previously an economist for shell should help. Poacher turned gamekeeper if you like.