The best arguments for cutting taxation...

At 9pm yesterday ConservativeHome spotlighted the headline findings of an ICM poll for the Taxpayers' Alliance which showed that 20% of Britons were seriously considering emigrating from high tax, high crime Britain.  Up until now the Tories have been very cautious about promising lower taxes but George Osborne, according to The Sunday Telegraph, is now considering abolishing stamp duty on share trading.

Throughout today and beginning now we'll be examining some of the more detailed findings of the ICM/ TPA poll.  The TPA researched the arguments most likely to whet the appetite of Britons for lower taxation.  Here are the top five arguments:

1. "Lower taxes would allow you to spend more of your hard-earned money on your own priorities."  81% agreed with this argument and only 10% disagreed.
2. "People have to pay 40% tax if they earn just £32,500, which captures many people like average teachers who aren't rich.  This threshold should be raised significantly so that only the really rich pay 40% tax."  79% agreed and 10% disagreed.
3. "Too many poor people struggle because they have to pay taxes.  If we raise the personal allowance theshold significantly from £5,035, a couple of million of the poorest taxpayers will not have to pay any taxes and average earners will pay less tax too."  78% agreed and 11% disagreed.
4. "Politicians waste money and lower taxes would force them to spend more wisely - we have to budget, so should the politicians."  76% agreed and 12% disagreed.
5. "It's morally wrong that politicians take so much of our money then waste it.  We should cut taxes to force them to budget better."  73% agreed and 15% disagreed.

Somehow the Conservative Party needs to abandon its economically questionable argument that tax cuts endanger economic stability (a proposition rejected in the ICM poll) and start making the case for economy-boosting tax relief.  If the Tory leadership team fails to make that case the Taxpayers' Alliance is determined to make it for the hard-pressed taxpayers of Britain...

Under its young and dynamic leadership of Matthew Elliott and James Frayne the TPA is planning to run adverts online and in cinemas and is creating a Web TV news programme in order to bypass the old media.  TPA also plans to send direct mail to 100,000 businesses and a million homes in the next few months.  It already has 14,000 supporters but is building a grassroots national network with important regional campaigns from the autumn.

AT 10AM CONSERVATIVEHOME WILL PUBLISH A LIST OF THE TAXES THAT VOTERS MOST WANT CUT.

Comments

[Dave J]

Not only should you be pushing for as much tax reduction as possible, but also tax simplification. The drain on an economy of compliance with a staggeringly complex tax regime can't be overstated, and the examples in parts of Eastern Europe of the benefits to be had from a flat tax mean it's no longer some weird academic flight of fancy.

[Richard]

http://www.reform.co.uk/filestore/pdf/negativeimpact.pdf

The negative impact of taxation on economic growth.