Fairer, greener taxation is possible but first we have to dispel myths that surround the debates
Let’s be honest: no one likes to pay taxes. Most of us do it (reluctantly) because we understand that at their core is the concept of pooling: we all contribute, so that public services are there when we need them. So that we get healthcare when we are ill, so that there is someone at the end of the line when we report a crime, so that our kids get a good education. If we feel that these services function well, our tax morale – the technical term for our willingness to pay taxes – tends to be high. When we don’t, our willingness to pay decreases.
When waiting times for adequate healthcare run into years, when schools close because of a lack of safe facilities, when you report a crime but no one comes, the allure of the tax cut – always there, always present – becomes nearly irresistible. The little devil on top of your shoulder is telling you that taxes are too high already, and “What are you paying for anyway?” If those tax cuts are accompanied by a promise that public services will (magically) also improve, so much the better.
Rita de la Feria is the chair in tax law at the University of Leeds, and a contributor to think tank ReImagine Europa’s talks series
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