Whaaattt?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Tidemark, Aug 17, 2024.

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  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    They are far too low, especially when offset against the costs. People rant and rave about tube drivers being on £65k a year, which is a decent wage to be fair.. but conveniently, folks forget that a 65k salary means that the take home of that is roughly £40k-£45k depending on pension deductions... £4k a month also sounds like a lot, until you lose £2500 for rent, £300 for council tax, £300 for gas/electricity and £100 for water and broadband....

    Sure, they could move out of London and save a chunk on rent, but then they'd accrue transport costs, parking costs if that transport is by car and in many cases that wouldn't even be possible... the local council near the site I work at has just imposed permit parking restrictions that the residents don't use (their big fancy houses have space for 4-6 Range Rovers, so they aren't caring about roadside parking), so it all sits empty... the council's argument is that our staff should use public transport - only, that isn't really an option when you are driving the first or last buses of the day... As soon as it came in, we lost a load of staff as it simply wasn't worth their time or the hassle to carry on working with us.
     
    Fat Controller, Feb 22, 2026 at 1:48 PM
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  2. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    For decades my brother in law has lived and worked abroad but invested his savings in Britain. That was until they changed the tax laws that meant he would not only be paying tax in the country he earned his money and tax on his savings but an additional tax because he wasn't living over here. :noidea: His savings are now invested abroad.
     
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      shiney, Feb 22, 2026 at 3:35 PM
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    • pete

      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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      The trouble with Labour governments is they dont like people who do their best to look after themselves, they always end up raiding ordinary peoples savings, while never really tackling the super rich.
      I'm still waiting for Reeves to fiddle with ISAs tax exemption.

      Just needs the next black hole.
       
      • Agree Agree x 2
        pete, Feb 22, 2026 at 4:32 PM
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      • Obelix-Vendée

        Obelix-Vendée Total Gardener

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        @Fat Controller Privatising rail and buses was a big mistake. I can remember when teaching English to scientists in Gembloux their shock when some were muttering about the annual rail season ticket from Gembloux to Brussels went up to 1000€. It's a similar lenght train journey to Reading to Paddington and that was set to up to £5000.

        Investment in decent public transport is one of the things that could be done with a millionaire's tax.

        On another front entirely, Trumpy tantrums about drugs coming into the USA from Canada's "porous" border have led to Trumpy tariffs and Canda imposing rstrictions on cross border movements for hunters, fishers, etc that used to be done on an honesty basis.

        Canada has recently seized a US truck carrying a hidden load of 266kg of methamphetamine into Ontario.

        Using Trump's Venezuela logic Canada can now blow up US trucks on the highways, seize oil tankers and kidnap Trump to charge him with corruption.
         
        Obelix-Vendée, Feb 22, 2026 at 4:35 PM
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      • ViewAhead

        ViewAhead Total Gardener

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        Yes, she was muttering something about possibly protecting the state pension from falling into a tax trap, but not private pensions, which protects those who did not save for their retirement and rely wholly on the state, while penalising those who did plan ahead but who might not have the NI yrs for a full state pension.
         
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          ViewAhead, Feb 22, 2026 at 4:43 PM
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          The money is already there for a better service - they are instead blowing it all on "net zero" and electrifying the fleet.
           
          Fat Controller, Feb 22, 2026 at 4:45 PM
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        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          I've recently got my new tax code come through and as far as I can work out after April I will be paying tax on my state pension, but they have just moved that amount over onto my small private pension and will collect it from there.
          That is what it looks like they are doing anyway.
           
          pete, Feb 22, 2026 at 4:55 PM
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          They'll probably be doing that because they can shift your tax code making collection simpler. Goodness knows how that will play out for anyone that only has the state pension though
           
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            Fat Controller, Feb 22, 2026 at 4:58 PM
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            I assume they will have to own up and blatantly take tax from your pension before they give it to you.
             
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              pete, Feb 22, 2026 at 5:03 PM
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            Page 353 of 353
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