UKC

Anyone else annoyed at receiving an Annual Tax Summary through the post? This is individualised and printed in colour. How much has it cost to produce these statements and post them out to everyone on PAYE?

The general percentages could just be available online if anyone is interested. It only tells half the story anyway. No mention of how they spend VAT, Council Tax, Road Tax etc.

I am only slightly appeased that I have been able to cancel any future paper copies. Rather than working out and printing all these forms I would prefer that money to have gone to the health service. It is pointless information anyway as you can't choose where your taxes go. I see it as advertising by the government ahead of the election to show how well they believe they are spending my money!

In reply to cas smerdon:

Agreed!

In reply to cas smerdon:
It's also all available on a (really quite good) HMRC smart phone app so there is really no need to post it.

In reply to cas smerdon:

No, actually, I think this is a good idea. If the government takes large amounts of your income from you in tax, it's appropriate for it to let you know what it does with it. Having an informed electorate can only be good, and this presents such information in a clear and personally relevant way.


The cost of it would keep the NHS going for 22 minutes, so it's really not that significant. Do you really object to the government printing out an account and posting it to you, or is there a political motive for you not wanting the electorate to get this?


I think the government think that you'll be horrified about the amount going to various places.

In reply to Coel Hellier:
Yeah thats fine, but a more detailed break down of what is where spent would be better.

In reply to cas smerdon:

Is this the blue plastic envelope I haven't opened yet?

In reply to cas smerdon:

The bit that really surprised me was that 25% of my tax payments - the biggest single item on the graph - is being spent on 'Welfare'...

In reply to Stewart_DarkSide:

Indeed - pensions are a major drain on public finance.

In reply to hamsforlegs:

I think it's 25% for welfare. Pensions are a separate thing, about 12% I think.

In reply to climbwhenready:

The welfare bit covers all sorts of things, including public sector pensions (such as armed forces, police, civil servants, and so on). Public sector pensions account for about half the welfare bill. You can see a more complete breakdown of what is covered by pensions here:
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/08/uk-benefit-welfare-spe...

In reply to Coel Hellier:

It's the posting it out that seems wasteful to me. There is a perfectly good app available already and probably a website that gives all this information. These also allow you to personalise it to your circumstances quite finely. These will cost less that £50m spent on letters.

In reply to tony:

That's interesting. I've just looked at PESA 2014 - removing pensions leaves welfare at 20.5% (instead of 25%).

In reply to climbwhenready:


It's part of the "buying votes by demonising those on benefits" election strategy.

In reply to MG:


The cost is more like £5m than 50 (according to the papers).

In reply to Coel Hellier:

There are, what, 30m taxpayers? One second class stamp each would be over £15m, and that's before envelopes, paper, printing, staff costs etc.

In reply to MG:


You get huge discounts for bulk mail, and this one would indeed be "bulk". Papers such as the Guardian, no friend of the government, are quoting a £5m figure, so I'm willing to believe it.