This latest Compass report puts forward a comprehensive analysis of the UK Tax system and offers a straightforward set of proposals which would start to make it fairer. The report entitled In Place of Cuts: Tax reform to build a fairer society was written by George Irvin, Dave Byrne, Richard Murphy, Howard Reed and Sally Ruane and produced with support from UNISON.
This report sets out a programme of detailed tax reforms based on a Treasury model simulation that will:
- Cover the deficit by raising £46.8bn in additional revenues
- Rule out the necessity for across the board spending cuts and so avoid prolonging the recession
- Redistribute income to 90% of households
- Reintroduce the 10p tax band to make the tax system fairer
Polling conducted by Compass shows such measures would be hugely popular:
- 78% would like to see a tax system whereby the richest 10% at least paythe same percentage of their income in tax as the poorest 10%, only 14%disagree
- 59% would like to see the re-introduction of the 10p tax band - with only13% against
- 62% would like to see the tax reform measures (detailed below) thatincrease the incomes of 90% of households with 24% against
For news coverage of the report see today's Guardian, and check out Polly Toynbee's opinion of the report here! You can also listen to Richard Murphy discuss the report on the Today Programme If you haven't registered to attend the launch event on Wednesday 25th do so now by emailing zoe.gannon@compassonline.org.uk Compass online!
