RAPID RESPONSES
Account for waste
It’s impossible to disagree with Anthony J. Evans’ article [A nation of tax cheats changed by new rules, yesterday]. The Greeks largely got into a pickle because their attitude was that paying tax was for wimps.
However, one of the deterrents to paying taxes is waste by government. When we see pictures on television of Nimrod airframes being smashed up and other ministry of defence disasters, and hear of the abandonment of the NHS IT system and identity cards, as well as the vast sums spent on poorly managed PFI projects and a proliferation of wastage at local government level, the reaction might be: if we pay it, they (the government) will waste it.
We know that the banks squandered hundreds of billions, but government was equally reckless with its finances. There are figures for the banks’ losses but not for government waste.
The government might provide encouragement by giving figures every year, not only for the amount spent, but how much was wasted. If taxpayers see the latter figure coming down, they might be more inclined to feel that paying taxes is worthwhile.
Derek Coggrave
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