You're completely ignoring the concept of increased cost of living in those places though. I know there are grads in their first job out of uni earning c£40k at big companies in London. But they're still paying £1000 a month in rent. You've got a good gig and are earning more than the majority of people in the workforce. You're doing OK mate.
To be fair, I'd rather tax the ultra wealthy properly, rather than this particular wage bracket - I think we agree on that one. But then again when you're on 50k, an extra fiver a week as quoted in this thread prior, just means folk will have to have one less avocado for breakfast
Apologies. I thought I’d seen a post earlier in the thread where you spoke about how much you earned in a ‘conversation’ with Jay, but evidently it wasn’t a post from you - it was actually Duntpasstome. In my defence it was quite late, but I do apologise.
The rub is that the ultra wealthy can very much choose which country to base in, as we see with F1 drivers in Monaco. I had a work thing at a restaurant in Mayfair recently and it was a different world. From the guests, to the staff to the band, I'd be surprised if there was a British person there. This wealthy elite are in the UK for tax and investment reasons and pay more in tax revenue, but a lower percentage than the common earner through non-dom rules. Countries around the world are competing for this wealth and investment with most places offering 'golden visas' or similar. We can certainly tax this group more, but then many will leave. The Tories are starting to get rid of it and say this will generate £2.7 billion a year, it won't, we'll break even at very best.
On a side note I've noticed a few people not wanting to state what they actually earn. There is definitely a stigma attached to people disclosing this information. I have previously read information from studys saying that keeping salaries confidential is one way business keep wages down.
If the threshold was 50k, you won't be paying the higher level when earning 50k, you've to add on your tax code free pay, for most an extra £12,500.
Yes, I've had a couple of those work-related Mayfair events in my lifetime and it really puts into perspective arguments about our piddling salaries.
2 sides of a coin - admit to earning over £50k and some people think you don't deserve it. Earn less then £30k some people think you're lazy. I reckon most people would be happy to admit they earned £40k because its not too much to be accused of being privileged/greedy/lucky and its not too little that you're accused of being unambitious/thick.
Exactly this. I've always been open with colleagues about how much I earn and encouraged them to do the same.
In some places, this is a disciplinary offence. In my first job, I was threatened with disciplinary action for disclosing to a "friend" that I'd had a payrise after moving departments and taking on a much more involved role (and still doing the old one!). My pay rise was to £10.5k per year in 1997. I currently earn just over 10x that with an additional £20k bonus depending on targets - which I am now unlikely to meet due to management deciding I need to bring in £2m per year in additional sales (I am not a sales person) as well as being charged to a client at ~£1k/day for 80%+ of chargeable days (and suddenly becoming a project manager - for which my interest knows no start). Five years ago, I was earning ~£50k from 2 jobs and paying over £1k/month on a mortgage. I didn't away on holiday for 10 years until last year - after finally paying the mortgage off in 2021.
Yes I've heard of firms making it a disciplinary offence, which kind of tells you everything about who's favour it's in to keep it secret.
I don't think anyone earning low pay is lazy. Often these are some.e of the more physically demanding jobs out there.
There is another issue that unfortunately the UK reeks of especially and it’s apparent and abundant in this thread - the pulling down of others success rather than building up and celebrating, and aiming to achieve yourself. The issue isn’t people earning around £50k. The fact is you don’t get a lot for your money, and to be honest, having done well to get to that level it’s not a fault or greedy or unnecessary to think that the hard work (that most people from a normal background have done) that has gone into getting there, should afford you a better quality of life. I’m not saying people who earn less don’t work equally hard, or aren’t equally smart or deserving. But unfortunately, the way the world works is that if you want a higher wage, you have to engage in a career and industry that has the capacity to pay more. I knew that for the way I wanted to live my life, I couldn’t go into teaching for example, as it notoriously is a low paying job. And to clarify, teachers deserve more money, and the fact a lot of people have chosen to do a career that benefits others over chasing money probably makes them a better person than I am. Nurses certainly are. Taking aim at the middle classes is baffling. Anyone who has been lucky enough to work up to a better paying (but not huge wage) has seen just how little you get in return. And quite frankly, the in fighting between the £20k - £50k bracket is pathetic. There are so many, far more obvious people and organisations who don’t and should pay their fair share and should be held accountable first. The upper classes, huge offshore tax havens, mega corporations paying little to zero tax, overpayment of c suite roles in public organisations etc etc etc. All of which benefit from nepotism, favourable ‘bending’ of the rules that benefit a few, and in a lot of cases, downright unaccountable thievery. If we can’t aim for a life that £50k brings then Jesus Christ we might all as well just give up.
Interesting to read about uni fees in Ireland, it’s similar in Scotland. In fact, I think they only pay for accommodation and no actual Uni fees? Surely this would be the way forward if wanting to bring in higher wages for our society. As I’ve said before I’m very uneducated when it comes to politics because I don’t care about them really. If someone can explain and educate me why Ireland and Scotland work that way but England doesn’t then that would be great.
The people in England voted for various parties that promised to introduce tuition fees, then increase them. The people in Scotland and Ireland didn't. The largest minority of English voters have a tendency to vote for parties that pull the ladder up behind them - particularly the older ones (generalization not against any individuals). So, we now expect kids to pay a fortune for university, have no council houses or public owned infrastructure, have triple locked pensions but crackdowns on the disabled, etc. etc - and many of the people who voted for it enjoyed free tuition, public infrastructure and council houses.
Nobody is pulling anyone down for earning money and improving their lives. Not one person in this thread has said that. I can't imagine how you could read 9 pages of this and come up with that view. The only thing people are saying is that 50k is a good wage - that's it. Good luck to anyone earning that much, but don't try to tell folk in lower paid jobs who tow their balls off for 25k that it's not.
