{"links":{"self":"https://preview.epetitions.website/archived/petitions/56008.json"},"data":{"type":"archived-petition","id":56008,"parliament":{"period":"2010-2015","government":"Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition","dissolution_at":"2015-03-30T23:59:59.000+01:00","response_threshold":10000,"debate_threshold":100000},"attributes":{"action":"Income tax and VAT review","background":null,"additional_details":"Income tax should be imposed on chargeable income. This is done annually after gross annual income has deduct any expenses such as\r\n\r\n1) contributions into pensions\r\n2) donations\r\n3) personal reliefs eg. (i) dependents eg. spouse, parents, children; handicapped or non-handicapped (ii)  life insurance (iii) course fees etc\r\n[personal reliefs are subjected to qualifying conditions]\r\n\r\nThe chargeable income will then be taxed accordingly and if the amount is too small to be taxed, then it is only fair that no tax is imposed. The current practice where 20% is deducted without any chance of tax relief leaves less spending power. This is evident where in a household of total earnings about 19k still struggles to pay mortgage, bills, taxes etc.\r\nA huge reduction of VAT will help too. I don't understand why UK is taxing a standard of 20% VAT and still struggling with its economy yet a developed country like Singapore taxes only 7% and is thriving.","committee_note":null,"state":"closed","signature_count":3,"created_at":"2013-10-17T14:05:22.000Z","updated_at":"2020-02-16T19:29:27.215Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2013-10-21T07:18:25.000Z","closed_at":"2014-10-21T07:18:25.000Z","moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2013-10-17T14:05:22.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_at":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[],"signatures_by_constituency":[],"signatures_by_region":[],"other_parliamentary_business":[]}}}