If National wins ...

[Daytr]

Another way of looking at what English said is that there are a lot of people who don't earn enough and rely on government benefits.
A good argument for the living wage rather than our ridiculously low minimum wage.
The differential between working and being on government benefits isn't wide enough.

[elZorro]

I thought the Left had already demolished this argument on this thread about a year back. English is talking only about income tax. What about GST, fuel, ciggies, gaming levies, power sales profits, and the numerous other ways taxes are collected directly and indirectly off these people? As well, it can be argued that landlords and businesses that don't pay high wages are effectively funnelling the effort of such families into their own income, concentrating it, and unless they're very clever, they usually have to pay tax on some of that eventually.

Unless they keep buying the right sort of assets of course.

[craic]

[QUOTE=elZorro;609964]I thought the Left had already demolished this argument on this thread about a year back.
Only in the eyes of the left . The majority demonstrate their disagreement by continuing to support the Prime Minister and the government.

[fungus pudding]

I thought the Left had already demolished this argument on this thread about a year back. English is talking only about income tax. What about GST, fuel, ciggies, gaming levies, power sales profits, and the numerous other ways taxes are collected directly and indirectly off these people? As well, it can be argued that landlords and businesses that don't pay high wages are effectively funnelling the effort of such families into their own income, concentrating it, and unless they're very clever, they usually have to pay tax on some of that eventually.

Unless they keep buying the right sort of assets of course.

It's most unlikely the lower paid will contribute as much in GST and excise taxes etc. as wealthy or higher paid individuals. I couldn't help laughing when I read the left had demolished this argument on this thread. Thanks for the laugh.

[westerly]

It's most unlikely the lower paid will contribute as much in GST and excise taxes etc. as wealthy or higher paid individuals. I couldn't help laughing when I read the left had demolished this argument on this thread. Thanks for the laugh.

Cackle as much as you like, English was being very mischievious with his analysis of who pays the most tax.

westerly

[fungus pudding]

Cackle as much as you like, English was being very mischievious with his analysis of who pays the most tax.

westerly

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/mone...rry-tax-burden

[elZorro]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/mone...rry-tax-burden

FP, I have to repeat, you're talking only about income tax again. What about GST? Are you saying that the wealthiest 10% pay 90% of the GST, for example? I didn't think so.

Anyway, here are some more accurate tables on this page from Treasury.

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2014/execsumm/07.htm

[westerly]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/mone...rry-tax-burden

You are bottom dredging now FP

westerly

[iceman]

FP, I have to repeat, you're talking only about income tax again. What about GST? Are you saying that the wealthiest 10% pay 90% of the GST, for example? I didn't think so.

Anyway, here are some more accurate tables on this page from Treasury.

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2014/execsumm/07.htm

EZ I must be missing something. Where in that document can I find numbers on who pays how much GST. Of course high income earners pay most of the GST. What the document does say is how much each income group pays in income tax but I see nothing about how much they get back from Government in various subsidies.

So nothing you or westerly have posted/said has refuted Bill English's claim ! EZ, you Lefties need to do better. This is why the country is not listening to you (incl Labour/Little) !!

[elZorro]

EZ I must be missing something. Where in that document can I find numbers on who pays how much GST. Of course high income earners pay most of the GST. What the document does say is how much each income group pays in income tax but I see nothing about how much they get back from Government in various subsidies.

So nothing you or westerly have posted/said has refuted Bill English's claim ! EZ, you Lefties need to do better. This is why the country is not listening to you (incl Labour/Little) !!

Treasury don't have a table for who pays what GST, but about a year ago I had a go at estimating it and put the data up on this thread.

The data above shows that all those of working age on under $80,000 pay 50% of the income tax, and they make up 88% of the working age population. It's highly unlikely that the same proportions apply to GST. Since the poor spend nearly everything they have each week, much of it attracts GST (exclude rent, sure). Why Lefties get upset about Bill's handling of the stats is that he didn't clearly qualify that he'd singled out Income Tax, and that it was only PART of the big picture.