Tax on the Beach · Journal 047

Rip it up and start again..

Martin Beadle · 14 January 2025 · 320 words

Rip it up and start again..

As the Chancellor is discovering, you just can’t unswallow that fly.!

Like the old lady from the nursery rhyme, Rachael Reeves has embarked on a series of drastic actions to ‘address previous government wrongs’

The old lady swallows a fly, then a spider to catch the fly, a bird to catch the spider, a cat to catch the bird, a dog to catch the cat, a goat to catch the dog, a cow to catch the goat, then a horse to catch the cow..

Our tax system, like our healthcare, is hopelessly broken. Both are the product of years of tinkering by political parties, focused on their short-term political and electoral goals, rather than real, long-term, needs of the country

Today’s ‘healthcare’ is better described as ‘sick care’, and surely needs to shift from responding to symptoms, toward helping us work as proactively as possible to optimise potential benefits, and minimise potential harms

No thanks to government, the intersection of the genetics, bio-technology and AI revolutions may be about to help

The ethics of tax systems has been discussed since Roman times. Tax must reflect the values and priorities of the people. If it does, people will willingly pay it, and the government will be returned to power by the ballot box. If it does not, the governing party will not survive. Chancellor, take note

HMRC’s ‘customers’ want simplicity, but that can’t happen as the current complicated tax system is based on mutual distrust

Statements of tax principles, made in Parliament, to which HMRC is bound to adhere, and upon which people can rely, would be a good start. It would help the courts too

Chartered Tax Adviser is the highest tax qualification available in the UK, and our team are ready to help. Book your free power-hour consultation here .

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Important. Tax on the Beach is the personal column of Martin Beadle, Founder. It is general commentary, not advice, and reflects the rules as at the date of first publication shown above – figures and legislation may have changed since. Reth!nk.tax is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide regulated financial, investment or pension advice. All tax advice is provided, in writing, by Chartered Tax Advisers.

«Newer: Try again, fail again, fail better.! Older: The wisdom of crowds..»

Important. Tax on the Beach is the personal column of Martin Beadle, Founder. It is general commentary, not advice, and reflects the rules as at the date of first publication shown above - figures and legislation change. All tax advice is provided in writing by a Chartered Tax Adviser who is a current member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

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