A flat tax rate is one of those policies which serve as a perennial North Star to many on the right when in opposition. George Osborne flirted with one in 2005, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on Monday described it as an “attractive idea” that her government would aim for in office.
It isn’t clear how seriously we should take that statement. For starters, during the Tory leadership contest, Badenoch justified refusing to make any policy commitments on the basis that she was going to hold a comprehensive review first. This has not yet happened.
Second, the political barriers to such a dramatic shift in policy are many. Osborne never got around to implementing a flat tax, after all – although he might be able to blame the Coalition, if he wanted.
But taking our cynical hat off for a moment, and considering the proposition at face value, would charging everyone a single tax rate be a good idea?
There is definitely a case for simplifying the British tax code. Our current system is enormously complicated, and this has several drawbacks.
First, it........