How many ridiculous taxes are we currently paying?

[OllyOxenfree]

I'm doing a research paper on this and would like a common opinion rather than just mine.

I'll start us off with this lovely:

Television Licence

[Androcles]

What exactly are you after? A research paper on "Ridiculous Taxes" seems a bit vague and is entirely a matter of opinion, whereas taxes and their unexpected outcomes may be a bettersubject for a paper!

Income tax bands for example, where some people are better off on benefits than working, even if they would prefer to work and other benefit traps.

Another argumen for example, the argument between poll tax and council tax, where one taxes all the people who use services whereas the other taxes people with property, is an interesting one.

How long have you got?

[mollykins]

maybe olly's paper has got a proper name but it is so complicated and full of long words that noone would understand it.

[R1Geezer]

well the most ridiculous tax is of course income tax. Temporary of course, I think we've finally got shot of the Napoleonic threat! Anyway it must cost almost as much to collect as it raises!

[R1Geezer]

TV licence is one of the more sensible ones, and offers excellent value.

The problem is that very rarely do they abolish a tax or restructure, they just add more levels of complexity.

[socket2008]

One of the reasons we pay more tax is because the Government receives less in the way of revenue from the sale of tobacco than it used to. Campaigns to stop smoking ultimately affect us all and is something the media and Government never mention.

I did a paper once on how much taxes would have to rise if alcohol and tobacco were made illegal. I can't remember the exact figure but it was something like an increase of 12p in the pound.