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Neil Johnson's avatar

Fascinating data as always, thanks Dan.

But are you conflating two things: how much tax we actually pay, and how much tax we feel like we're paying? (c.f., pitch vs frequency).

To use well-worn car analogies: if you're paying Rolls-Royce taxes AND have a Rolls-Royce on the drive you're probably going to feel ok about it. Whereas in the UK we're paying, say, Mercedes taxes but driving around in a Fiat Panda with a couple of bald tyres and rusty wings: you're probably not going to be feeling ok about it.

As the joke goes: in Europe they drive on the left, in the UK we drive on what's left.

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Thomas Cheliotis-James's avatar

Great article. It would be good to include student loans in the breakdown - vast majority of the professional workers in their 20s to early-mid 30s now paying (roughly) extra 7-15% effective income tax.

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JM Lapointe's avatar

Excellent and informative data as always. The one thing I'd like to see (maybe it's in your next post?) is how the feeling of being over-taxed compares between countries. Anecdotally (after living in 3 different countries) I would think everyone everywhere feel they're overtaxed, without any relationship to their actual taxation...

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Frances Anderson's avatar

Terrific insights, as always. Your work has such value - and politicians should all read your posts!

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C Robson's avatar

Thanks Dan. The work you do is so interesting and important. Keep up the good work

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Christina Sadler's avatar

Surprising to see our relative tax on workers and very much looking forward to how you reconcile the data to the consensus view that we're all over-taxed

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