Bag's Rants

Showing the true impact of tax.

I think I know how much I am spending on tax on goods such as fuel and other goods especially with the use of the inappropriately name Value Added tax. Which, in line with all government policies, adds no value whatsoever and is instead simply a way to fleece people under a banner of a rich tax. When it started I thought it was just for goods that were not necessities and now realise that even then they were using the salami techniques that they have perfected over the years. Yet our dozy populace still fall for them. Talk about those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Anyway, via the ASI, I read this article with interest. I talks about the visibility of taxes being what we dislike. Money we never have in our hands and have to pay it out so we don't even know is being removed by the beast. We just don't notice it. The proposal here is visible taxes so we see what each item is costing us in terms of the item itself and the tax paid. Of course no government is not going to mandate that. It will have a massive -ve impact on how they are perceived by the public. Even this lot who are unpopular now.

So, I was thinking, surely it would be of benefit to the big firms to do this. Especially firms like the tobacco companies who are being persecuted by the government. A label on the back with a breakdown on the costs would open a few eyes. Booze companies are next. Again a label would open people eyes. Followed by fast food companies. What have they got to lose? They must know the government has it's knives poised behind their backs. Would this cause them that much of a problem to implement? Why are they not looking at it now? Do they think that keeping their heads down will protect them, they don't want to spend the money involved in doing so or that they just have not thought of it?

If they did though. Wouldn't it be interesting. The empire strikes back against the dark side. And they best bit it is it will be factual and not hysteria. Unlike a significant portion of the campaign going on now.

posted by Bag @ 12:04 pm