Emma Whiley

Great words for even better brands. Freelance copywriter.

[Aleksandra Huk @HukAleksandra]

Me: I earn £100k
HMRC: That’s nice, we’ll take £45k

Me: I bought a car
HMRC: VAT applied

Me: I want to gift my kid £5k
HMRC: Taxed

Me: I made money from crypto
HMRC: You mean we made money

Me: I made £50 profit on Vinted
HMRC: That’s income. Tax it

Me: I bought a house
HMRC: Stamp duty please

Me: I want to retire
HMRC: Pay tax on your pension

[Colin Brazier @ColinBrazierTV]

Independent schools are a gift to the nation. Parents sending their children there stump-up fees, while also paying taxes as if their kids were in the State sector.
Rational politicians would encourage more of them.
Labour cancels them.
https://t.co/4vQMRemT62

[Victoria @vickygrayson_]

Tomorrow, the three day Court case against the Government in relation to VAT on private school fees begins.

The chickens have certainly come home to roost.

“Ministers refused to engage with private schools before storming ahead with their sweeping tax raid”.

[Victoria @vickygrayson_]

The legal challenge to the government's spite to place VAT on independent school fees will be heard in the High Court between 1 and 3 April.

Wishing Lord Pannick & his team the very best as they fight to protect the rights of families and young people.

https://t.co/CdudJxXekM

[Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP @DrNShastriHurst]

The Government has been consistently disingenuous when calling the introduction of VAT on school fees a “tax break”. It is no such thing. Education has never been taxed, and nor should it.

The decision of the High Court to expedite the legal challenge against the Government’s decision is very welcome news. The urgency of this case is clear.

https://t.co/G02mqj6BMr

[Raymond Duck @RaymondDuck6]

For those who don't understand the importance of this, this old chestnut makes it clear:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.

But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too.

It's unfair that he got ten times more than I got' 'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

[Ana Boulter @anaboultertv]

WELL DONE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL!!! At last sense is prevailing and @bphillipsonMP ‘s plan is coming under much needed scrutiny. Other councils take note and be brave like @BucksCouncil @sam_carling_ @aliciakearns

[Ana Boulter @anaboultertv]

GOOD MORNING BRIDGE! Thats like @GMB - imagine....
@bphillipson this might help you remenber the facts in interviews - the dishwasher analogy and a hack for nits whilstI am at it, Youre welcome https://t.co/YLmNpN7QX7

[Hopewell Chin’ono @daddyhope]

What is counter-revolutionary is running hospitals without medicines!

What is counter-revolutionary is not having a single working radiotherapy cancer treatment machine in the whole country as is the case.

What is counter-revolutionary is having only ONE maternity theater at the biggest hospital in Zimbabwe and as a result having 2500 women dying every year giving birth.

What is counter-revolutionary is having urban homes with no clean drinking water.

What is counter-revolutionary is having a 95% unemployment rate and the highest inflation in the world due to looting.

What is counter-revolutionary is smuggling US$150 million worth of Gold every month whilst schools have no books!

What is counter-revolutionary is stealing public funds and plundering the country’s natural resources to build mansions, buy sports cars yet citizens are dying from lack of dialysis machines!

[Shan🐍 @ShanTeasdale]

Urm excuse me @TicketmasterUK I’m not sure what time zone you’re working from but here in the UK we’re now 11 hours in to the 5th of July and still no email about Taylor Swift tickets. Yours sincerely, the entire fandom🙂 #TaylorSwiftErasTour

[Emma Whiley @Emma_Whiley]

People having VERY loud conversations or watching youtube very loudly on their phones (sans headphones) whilst on a commuter train - surely one of the very worst 'grates my every last nerve' things after a long day.

[Emma Whiley @Emma_Whiley]

@_jssca__ Think there's a fair few restrictions on how it can be reported so it doesn't prejudice the trial

[Emma Whiley @Emma_Whiley]

@hevercastle Hi Hever - we just missed out on tickets - will you be releasing any more? 🥲🥲

[Emma Whiley @Emma_Whiley]

@VOXI_UK FOR THE LOVE literally EVERY time I try to log into my acc my details are 'wrong' and I need to enter an OTP which NEVER EVER works. Whhhyyyy does this KEEP happening? Please can you fix it.

[Jake Lambert @jakelambertcom]

Hello! Could you maybe deliver those marmalade sandwiches to people who need them rather than leaving them outside a palace? Thanks.

[JOSH ROM @JoshRomOnAir]

Princess Anne has always been known as the hardest working royal, but no moment has shown us the true extent of her utter devotion and sense of duty & service than this. Extraordinary woman.

[Jeremy Clarkson @JeremyClarkson]

One of the things I’ve noticed in these last few hours is that so very many people on Twitter are truly awful human beings.

[The author, Séamas O'Reilly @shockproofbeats]

If anyone had 'Kanye Ending All His Beefs In Tribute To Queen Elizabeth II' on their bingo card, please make your way to the stage.

[The Telegraph @Telegraph]

Queen Elizabeth II has died

[GW @gw850]

This was the moment that I most respected from the Queen.

Whilst Parliament were out partying and breaking their own rules, she followed everything asked of her and showed a respect towards everyday people who were being asked to do the same.