In the UK, the 'personal allowance' for income tax is £10,600. However people earning as low as £3,300 have to start paying council tax. It seems ridiculous that I only earn £419/month yet have to pay £40/month. Why even have a personal allowance so low, when the income tax allowance is £10,600?
Well, being from the UK myself I think there's one word in your post that pretty much sums up the government on a number of issues, and that's ridiculous. The problem now, is that the great British public decided to vote for these leaches that are in power now, so there's not a lot anybody can do.
Not me! Also, I understand councils have to be funded, but in reality what does anyone use other that refuse collection? I know some of it goes to the police too, but even then they spend a significant portion of their time on trivial matters like TV licensing and other non-issues. My own council tax bill will go up by 3.2% from April.
Council tax is determined by the councils, so blame them. It depends where you live and the lowest are actually Conservative controlled areas. If you don't like the council tax, move to an area where it's cheaper!
People in the government who cannot think of better things always go for restrictive taxes or ordinances that punishes the public. I think that tax law is the work of someone who is not entirely connected to the common people or maybe he is out of touch with reality. Would you believe that in the ongoing campaign for the presidential elections in May, one candidate has the tv ad that says he will abolish tax for those earning 30k and below. That's a strong statement that would earn the rebuttal of economists. That candidate is the present vice president of the Philippines.
It соuld bе sееn аs suсh I guеss. It wоuld hоwеvеr mаkе UK tаx rеturns еvеn mоrе соmpliсаtеd likе in thе US if it wаs dеduсtiblе. Businеss rаtеs ( аkа businеss соunсil tаx) аrе dеduсtiblе аs а businеss еxpеnsе.
Just simply moving to an area where it's cheaper isn't an option for a lot of people, and even if it was why should they? Surely the argument is why are they so high in the first place? That's what should be addressed. As for your local council setting the amount, that's true but where do you think they get their figures from in the first place? If central government say they have to make cutbacks and they'll only get this amount to spend, then that as a knock on effect to the council tax.
