Readers question: What is the difference between tax and inflation? Tax is a way for the government to raise revenue. It includes charges placed by the government on goods/income. For example, VAT is a tax which means consumers have to pay an additional 20% of the price in the form of tax which goes to …
An ad valorem tax imposes a tax on a good or asset, depending on its value. The tax is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, in the UK, VAT is charged at 20% on most goods offered for sale. Ad valorem means – according to value. Thus it is a tax which is flexible …
A regressive tax is a tax which takes a higher percentage of tax revenue from those on low incomes. As income increases, the proportion of your income paid in tax falls. Suppose there is a poll tax of £3,000 (paid regardless of income) In this case, the person earning £10,000 is paying 30% of their …
Main types of tax in the UK Income tax – This a tax on people’s income. The basic rate of income tax is 20%, paid on income over the income tax threshold of £10,400. National insurance contributions. Another type of income tax is national insurance contributions, which are based on a similar principle of taking …
Direct taxation is a type of tax which is paid for by an individual directly to the government. It includes poll tax, land tax or income tax. Direct taxation contrasts with an indirect tax, which is imposed on a transaction and paid to the government by the firm after the good has been bought. Indirect …
A few years ago, I looked at the arguments for and against a tax on ‘fatty foods‘. Generally, I supported the idea of a tax on unhealthy foods because it is a way to price the full social cost of the good. It is an example of a Pigovian tax. A tax which internalises the …
After tax income is the income remaining after the government has subtracted income tax (and other related income taxes like national insurance) It does not take into account indirect taxes like VAT. These taxes are paid when consuming goods. Another term for after tax income is disposable income. Disposable income is often confused with discretionary …
There is often much discussion about the impact of tax and benefits on the distribution of income. This is an interesting graph which shows the impact of different taxes and benefits on income distribution. As expected, direct taxes (like income tax) are progressive – i.e. they take a bigger % of income from high earners. …