Allegedly a tax raise would scare away the workers somewhere

[X-ray]

Just out of interest, define high earners, and to what extent they avoid tax, and how. Not that I am disagreeing with you, I just want to get an understanding of your perceived thresholds and where your figures are comming from ?

Well its all relative. I think 100k is suggested as a third tax cut off point. I think a graduated tax system with may be 5 or 6 points would be fairer. I think everyone earning should pay tax, even if its tiny it gives them a stake. I can remember earning 100 pounds a week and paying tax, I felt great to be doing something for the country, a real citizen, a real tax payer.

I am a good earner now, 70K+ now and I think it is reasonable that society would expect me to pay a good burden of the adjustment while I still have my job. I think it is totally unreasonable to expect me to bare more tax than someone earning more money but not in a PAYE income. We have seen this nonsense here before. I can barely be bothered saying it because I know half the country will not declare or pay their fair share again and they will be completely facilitated in doing this.

I despair of this country, I don't think there is really any democracy and corruption and tax avoidance is endemic. I have no doubt many will pay nothing and indeed will profit from this chaos we are in.


Frankly to anyone who says they don't want to pay and can, I wish you would leave the country, otherwise the rest of us will have to.

I could not suffer the indignity my parents did paying tax like fools while the rest laughed at them.

[X-ray]

I'd be defined as a "high earner" under whatever criteria you'd decide to use. Dont have any non taxable income (unfortunately!). My effective rate (tax paid as a function of total income) in 2008 was 37pc with my marginal rate inc PRSI obviously 46.5pc. Obviously with income levy etc this will rise to 52pc marginal rate in 2009 with a hike to over 40pc in my effective rate.

I do some normal tax reduction - pension contributions, film relief etc - nothing hairy!

For the "drain" I am on the State as a citizen, I feel I more than pay my way. I am happy also to effectively contribute to those less well off.

However what really pees me off if the way the Govt splurges some of my revenues and pours them down the drain. And I'm not talking NAMA (no sense in opening ANOTHER thread here) but if my revenues declined by 30% over 2 years (as Ireland Inc's will from 2007 to 2009) then I'd be taking a knife to the cost base - not trying to charge my clients and customers more.

You are not paying your way, you are paying the way for several others too, I am afraid that is the price of having a good income and being better off than others. Its a pain but the alternative is not pretty.

[Hazlitt]

rich b*stards can't be taxed because they will leave the country and we can't live without them...

You can't get away from the fact that if the people who worked and paid the vast share of tax revenues in this country left tomorrow there wouldn't BE public services...

[sandar]

JRG its not about the rich who can leave its about the middle classes who can leave..........

[DaveM]

I think it is totally unreasonable to expect me to bare more tax than someone earning more money but not in a PAYE income.

No argument there X-ray although in the context of closing the deficit addressing this issue will only have a moderate effect. From the Prime Time on this issue about 2 weeks ago I think (and I'm open to correction if anyone wants to watch the programme back on the RTE Player) the figure they gave as potential revenue from these people as being in the order of €300-400 million. Not to be sniffed at by any means but we're talking about approximately 2% of the current deficit.

On a somewhat related issue I recall a radio report last week where an Austrian economist who specialises in analysing black economy activity estimated the Irish black economy to be in the order of 14% of our GDP!!! I'd be interested to know how this figure was arrived at (i.e. are we talking nixers here or is he also including criminal activity such as drug trafficking?) - anyone else see this story?