Daniel in Cornwall
@danielincornwall.bsky.social
Chilli growing, photography, cooking stuff, rugby watching, paddle boarding, occasional Land Rovers and general Cornwall things. Also tax. Mostly in Penzance, sometimes London. Not Cornish.
Wasn't that the 2019 Get Brexit Done bounce where a lot of the usually-sceptical briefly believed politics was achieving what they wanted?
November 12, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Wasn't that the 2019 Get Brexit Done bounce where a lot of the usually-sceptical briefly believed politics was achieving what they wanted?
Number 10 are already testing one out to see how it goes damping down leadership challenge rumours.
November 12, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Number 10 are already testing one out to see how it goes damping down leadership challenge rumours.
it's relevant as the "extraordinarily generous" salary sacrifice benefit at this level provides some relief from the "extraordinarily stupid" (and fiscally-dragged too) £100k multi-edged cliff. None of it makes sense, but tinkering with one bit without fixing it all is pasty tax territory
November 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
it's relevant as the "extraordinarily generous" salary sacrifice benefit at this level provides some relief from the "extraordinarily stupid" (and fiscally-dragged too) £100k multi-edged cliff. None of it makes sense, but tinkering with one bit without fixing it all is pasty tax territory
Pretty much.
November 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Pretty much.
Operation Donkey Sanctuary was right there
November 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Operation Donkey Sanctuary was right there
Looking forward to the bit where they catch a stingrey
November 11, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Looking forward to the bit where they catch a stingrey
Hope they checked the altimetre when they got to the top.
November 11, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Hope they checked the altimetre when they got to the top.
(and yes I know 100k is a high income and this isn't a group that is going to benefit from a lot of sympathy, but right now pension tax relief via salary sacrifice helps to mitigate the effect of an objectively dysfunctional and unfair bit of the tax system, so fix all of it or leave it alone...)
November 11, 2025 at 6:47 PM
(and yes I know 100k is a high income and this isn't a group that is going to benefit from a lot of sympathy, but right now pension tax relief via salary sacrifice helps to mitigate the effect of an objectively dysfunctional and unfair bit of the tax system, so fix all of it or leave it alone...)
It's hard to model because of the interaction with the 100k cliff. Best guess is that those affected would just grumpily pay quite a bit more tax and not save in pensions at all, but with a strong sense of unfairness and disappointment that govt isn't sorting out yet another thing that doesn't work.
November 11, 2025 at 6:46 PM
It's hard to model because of the interaction with the 100k cliff. Best guess is that those affected would just grumpily pay quite a bit more tax and not save in pensions at all, but with a strong sense of unfairness and disappointment that govt isn't sorting out yet another thing that doesn't work.
The problem is that targeting a very generous, unevenly spread benefit creates a sudden, tightly focused extra cost for those on the other end of it, regardless of whether fair. Could be done at the same time as fixing the very unfair, unevenly applying cliff-edges, but not in isolation.
November 11, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The problem is that targeting a very generous, unevenly spread benefit creates a sudden, tightly focused extra cost for those on the other end of it, regardless of whether fair. Could be done at the same time as fixing the very unfair, unevenly applying cliff-edges, but not in isolation.
The image of Robbie Gibb as a freshwater merman is what we all needed to get through the afternoon.
November 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
The image of Robbie Gibb as a freshwater merman is what we all needed to get through the afternoon.
Both fair points - I guess the answers are premised on some form of policy coherence which might or might not end up being visible (or existent). I'd agree in principle that if the decision is "incentivise pension savings for higher earners at all costs is ending" then sal sac NI savings look silly.
November 11, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Both fair points - I guess the answers are premised on some form of policy coherence which might or might not end up being visible (or existent). I'd agree in principle that if the decision is "incentivise pension savings for higher earners at all costs is ending" then sal sac NI savings look silly.
Don’t think that’s right - employer contributions (incl via salary sacrifice) would become another P11D benefit imcluded in total earned incomes; tax relief for contributions given as a 20% reducer like mortgage interest. Can set NI treatment however you choose.
November 11, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Don’t think that’s right - employer contributions (incl via salary sacrifice) would become another P11D benefit imcluded in total earned incomes; tax relief for contributions given as a 20% reducer like mortgage interest. Can set NI treatment however you choose.
I didn't know those existed until now and am trying to restrict caramel wafer consumption to one per Loganair flight
November 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I didn't know those existed until now and am trying to restrict caramel wafer consumption to one per Loganair flight
Wait, are you saying that it's *not* in the maple syrup and bacon kettle chips?
November 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Wait, are you saying that it's *not* in the maple syrup and bacon kettle chips?
I think you have to assume 'working' is code for a group of people which includes some who don't actually work (pensioners who identify as hard working) and excludes some who do (workers who are paid a lot and can't really be described as 'hard-pressed' and possibly workers without families)
November 10, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I think you have to assume 'working' is code for a group of people which includes some who don't actually work (pensioners who identify as hard working) and excludes some who do (workers who are paid a lot and can't really be described as 'hard-pressed' and possibly workers without families)
I'm not an expert on this, but tests of new "clean" accounts suggest the algo feeds you stuff that is more extreme/adversial/generally right wing than you would naturally look at, so it's not just "more of what you like" - it's directed. Whether that's political or ad engagement revenue reasons - 🤷♂️
November 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I'm not an expert on this, but tests of new "clean" accounts suggest the algo feeds you stuff that is more extreme/adversial/generally right wing than you would naturally look at, so it's not just "more of what you like" - it's directed. Whether that's political or ad engagement revenue reasons - 🤷♂️
Maybe. Definitely later than it should have been, and definitely too late if it's a half-hearted rise which won't get through the next 24 months without needing revisiting (a sensible approach could be a 4-year escalator from April 2026 allowing the last rise to be cancelled due to "good news")
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Maybe. Definitely later than it should have been, and definitely too late if it's a half-hearted rise which won't get through the next 24 months without needing revisiting (a sensible approach could be a 4-year escalator from April 2026 allowing the last rise to be cancelled due to "good news")
...also good?
November 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
...also good?
Saying it's a 'curse' makes it sound a bit accidental: it's a strategy.
November 10, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Saying it's a 'curse' makes it sound a bit accidental: it's a strategy.
I'd say "you only get relief at the basic rate" - you don't pay tax at *your* marginal rate, but at the difference between your marginal rate and the basic rate. In practice it would work in the same way as residential property finance charges I guess - full disallowance then 20% tax reducer
November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I'd say "you only get relief at the basic rate" - you don't pay tax at *your* marginal rate, but at the difference between your marginal rate and the basic rate. In practice it would work in the same way as residential property finance charges I guess - full disallowance then 20% tax reducer
You limit it to the basic rate tax paid on the income only. No other changes to contribution limits etc needed. It also simplifies personal tax compliance because BR relief is claimed by the pension fund and it's only HR/AR relief that needs to be claimed by the taxpayer directly.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
You limit it to the basic rate tax paid on the income only. No other changes to contribution limits etc needed. It also simplifies personal tax compliance because BR relief is claimed by the pension fund and it's only HR/AR relief that needs to be claimed by the taxpayer directly.
Surely "inefficiently installed therefore lower-yielding panels still generate enough electricity that overall net cost of installation is still cheaper than wood"
November 10, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Surely "inefficiently installed therefore lower-yielding panels still generate enough electricity that overall net cost of installation is still cheaper than wood"
I think board/senior mgmt appointments of the last decade were intended to undermine integrity and impartiality (using those terms as understood in the pre Johnson/Trump era) and that the organisation is struggling to be impartial as a result. It is also getting things wrong - but yes that's normal.
November 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
I think board/senior mgmt appointments of the last decade were intended to undermine integrity and impartiality (using those terms as understood in the pre Johnson/Trump era) and that the organisation is struggling to be impartial as a result. It is also getting things wrong - but yes that's normal.