@jellybreadracer@lemmy.world to UK Politics@feddit.uk • 1 year agoEarned income taxed twice as heavily as capital gains for some in UK, study findswww.theguardian.comexternal-linkmessage-square33fedilinkarrow-up1166arrow-down12
arrow-up1164arrow-down1external-linkEarned income taxed twice as heavily as capital gains for some in UK, study findswww.theguardian.com@jellybreadracer@lemmy.world to UK Politics@feddit.uk • 1 year agomessage-square33fedilink
minus-squaretheinspectorstlinkfedilink2•edit-21 year agoThat assumes they both have the same societal externalities - I suspect they don’t. I suspect there’s a good reason why even fairly left-wing societies (e.g. Sweden, France) tax income at a higher rate than capital gains.
minus-squareHelloTherelinkfedilink4•1 year agoThe purpose of tax is not just to internalise externalities.
minus-squaretheinspectorstlinkfedilink2•1 year agoNo, it’s primarily to fund spending. But as a rule of thumb, once you’ve decided how much you’d like the state to spend on things, it makes sense to raise that amount of tax in the way that does the least harm.
minus-square@C4d@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglish1•1 year agoDoes it help to view it less to do with funding spending and more to do with reclaiming the money that the government has already spent?
minus-squareHelloTherelinkfedilink1•1 year agoCompletely agree, it is however much easier said than done.
That assumes they both have the same societal externalities - I suspect they don’t.
I suspect there’s a good reason why even fairly left-wing societies (e.g. Sweden, France) tax income at a higher rate than capital gains.
The purpose of tax is not just to internalise externalities.
No, it’s primarily to fund spending. But as a rule of thumb, once you’ve decided how much you’d like the state to spend on things, it makes sense to raise that amount of tax in the way that does the least harm.
Does it help to view it less to do with funding spending and more to do with reclaiming the money that the government has already spent?
Completely agree, it is however much easier said than done.