INCREASE IN NI CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE SELF EMPLOYED

I welcome this item in this year’s budget. For years I have watched many self-employed people, with the aid of smart accountants, successfully hide their true income and exaggerate their expenses so that they have paid much less tax than was their due whereas the poor old PAYE wage earners have no way of hiding their income. It is true, I believe, that the wage earners provide a disproportionate part of the revenue from income tax and NI contributions and it is high time that there was some adjustment to the balance. Arguments that the self-employed do not get such benefits as paid holidays, maternity leave etc are no justification for paying less than their share of tax, these so called advantages of the wage earner are part of their wages. It is up to the self-employed to manage their lives better, being self-employed is their choice. Ron Watts