Families pay the price of an unfair tax system
by Jonathan Williams, The Conservative Woman:
For more ten years, CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) has produced unique research on the tax burden faced by UK families. In that time, there has been little change in the figures. More importantly, there has been little change in the underlying problems, namely that the UK tax system is highly individualistic and bears little to no regard for family responsibility and makeup. The latest research yet again makes for grim reading.
One of the unique aspects of CARE’s research is the evaluation of the UK tax burden with comparable countries in the EU and OECD. Doing this sort of comparison means it is easier to understand why the current bias in the UK tax system against families is so unusual.
At the OECD average wage for the UK, the tax burden is 26 per cent greater than the international average on single parents with two children, and 30 per cent greater on one-earner married couples with two children. By contrast, the tax burden on a single person with no family responsibilities is significantly less – 18 per cent – than the international average. The latest findings demonstrate, yet again, that the UK is a cold place for families.
International comparisons prove that a high tax burden on families is not simply an inevitability of independent taxation. Other countries, such as France, Germany and the United States, have independent taxation, but have taken proactive steps to ensure that the tax burden is shared more equally.
Looking at the specific figures for income tax, the UK’s failings compared with other international friends come into even sharper focus.
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