Is this Countries Tax System fair ?

Let me tell you something Charlie, I admire you. I think most people in your position would be frightened to post, too intimidated. But you're not, and I respect that. I think you're wrong on most things but that doesn't matter, it's your choice.

I didn't say that the system was fair, I said that you didn't understand it.

But then you wouldn't recognise a fact if it slapped you in the face.

Your point is an entirely fair one. I myself have cited the same facts in opposition to those who only cite income tax when trying to claim most of it is paid by the rich.

I have often thought that in the interests of both clarity and simplicity, income tax and NI should be combined into one tax on income.

I do though think that this country has something of a structural problem when it comes to tax. Income is overtaxed whilst wealth is undertaxed. This imposes serious burdens and disincentives on productive workers, whilst boosting asset values for wealthy asset hoarders. Amongst other things this has created a situation where the global super rich find it very cost effective to buy up property here which often stays unoccupied, pushing up housing prices for the rest of us to an unhealthy extent. I have in recent years advocated modest increases in taxes on the incomes of the rich, and would still not object to that on principle. But I think it would be much better to leave higher rates where they are, and just close as many loopholes as possible whilst increasing taxes on wealth, particularly higher end properties. In recent years I have advocated a land value tax and would prefer that to any increase in the top rate.

Both taxes are identical in the sense that they are percentage deduction on income above certain thresholds. It is not possible to talk honestly about taxes paid on income without including both, which clearly ought to be combined into one tax to avoid all this disingenuous smoke and mirrors.

I will point out  that your obvious desire to increase the taxes on higher earners by an extra 10% via making them pay the same NI rate whilst not reducing the income tax rate is a far more swingeing tax hike on  the incomes of the wealthy than anything proposed in the supposedly far left 2017 manifesto. Most of the proposed tax rises were modest ones aimed at wealth rather than incomes. But if I call for such things I am far left, if you do it is fair taxation. Lol.

And at the time I supported the manifesto commitment to raise the top rate back to 50%, the rate introduced by Gordon Brown, and cut to 45% by the Tories. Note that this would have represented a 5% increase on all incomes above £150k. Whilst your desire to make everyone pay the same rate of NI would result in a 10% tax hike on all incomes above £50k.

So which one of us wants to hit the rich harder in their incomes? How do you conclude that my proposed tax policies make me far left when yours are far more draconian?

Labour have already stated that they will not be stripping private schools of their Charity Status.