GST to be taken off food?

Digger wrote:I don't know how anyone can say that GST is fair , it might be if you have s**t loads of money where it really doesn't matter how much things cost but to the less well off it might be the difference between eating properly or not.

GST is a consumption tax, those that consume are taxed equally to others and in proportion to what they consume. The taxes raised are then redistributed as general tax income, which includes subsidising the less well off through Income Support (many feel Income Support does not adequately subsidise those in need, but that is a problem of Income Support, NOT GST)

The alternative is what, higher income tax? How is that any fairer?

Although Jersey politicians have effectively voted to keep tax on food and domestic heating, the battle to remove GST from foodstuffs is not over.

Three Senators - Ben Shenton, Freddie Cohen and Jimmy Perchard - are setting their sights on having the tax removed from healthy food. Senator Cohen says islanders can expect a fresh debate soon.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Frank Walker hopes that next week politicians will back Deputy John Le Fondre's call to give back some GST income to poor people through income tax relief and government benefit handouts. (from CIonline)

Well surprise surprise

GST was only brought in to fill the black hole made by the government bringing in 0/10. the governments on both islands cocked up .robin hood in reverse take from the least well off to give to big business and the rich

GD wrote:

...Deputy John Le Fondre's call to give back some GST income to poor people through income tax relief and government benefit handouts. (from CIonline)

Well surprise surprise

Lucky for those already on benefits then :roll:

Thistle wrote:GST was only brought in to fill the black hole made by the government bringing in 0/10. the governments on both islands cocked up .robin hood in reverse take from the least well off to give to big business and the rich

What would you suggest as available alternative to GST? You seem to think that 'big business' and 'the rich' are getting an unfair advantage, how so?

What am I missing that all you who bemoan GST as unfair can see? do you believe that people shouldn't have to pay their way so long as there's somebody who's rich enough that they can be fleeced to pay for all the services everybody benefits from?

big business is no longer paying its way.they are using the services and paying nothing towards them imo.why should the finance industry no longer pay tax on profits is that fair on the ordinary working people of both islands imo no it is not.i am assuming that you either work in finance or are one of the idle rich who won't miss the extra you have to pay or one of the businesses who will benefit most from 0/10.maybe you should try and live on an ordinary wage in these islands and see if you can manage to feed your family,heat your home,pay your rent/mortgage and pay your bills just to keep your head above water. then tell me that gst etc is fair .

I don't work in finance, I'm not idle and I'm certainly not rich. I can't afford to live in Jersey on an ordinary wage and struggle to feed my family, heat my home etc. etc. I won't make assumptions about your finances, but would be very surprised to find them as dire as mine.

But that does not mean that GST is unfair.

Those 'big businesses' that don't pay corporate tax any longer (lets forget about the finance businesses that pay 10%) what public services do they get for their tax payments? These entities don't use the services, so why expect them to pay for them? It's the taxes on the wages of the thousands employed by these businesses that enable those employees to receive the services, and allows those not employed by these businesses to receive the same services without even contributing in many cases.

What about businesses like the local corner shop who no longer, but used to, by tax? Surely they even better off than the finance industry, but I don't hear the vitriol aimed at them in the same way; why? not as easy a target? not faceless enough? not profitable enough to be jealous of?

Jersey enjoys very high levels of infrastructure compared to, for example, the UK, and that is down almost entirely to the presence of the finance industry. The downside to this is a relatively high level of population, which has been the cause of higher property prices. The alternative is to not have had the industry or infrastructure and had low population and low property prices. I wonder if the accompanying standard of living would satisfy all those who bemoan the finance industry's presence, and I wonder how many of those that complain about it today would leave Jersey searching for a higher standard of living where jobs and money were plentiful?

Gst will be increased even more soon as the returns on tax are returned These will drop due to "Executive" bonuses being reduced because of the economic downtown