This is a difficult piece to write because we place such fundamental value in our monetary additions to society that almost all other value contributions are ignored, forgotten, even mocked. Therefore, this piece will likely stir something in you. It asks deep and complex questions of value statements and social responsibility.
The expression ‘contributing member of society’ so often refers to anyone working and paying tax, with zero consideration for what their work is, where they spend their money and whether their contribution pays into systems of nourishment and just progress or a business-as-usual model benefitting elites, upholding colonial institutions and often making the lives of the worse off worse still! Often the demonstrably false belief of ‘trickle down impacts’ is the end of the line of much thinking when it comes to tax and societal contribution. I understand why, because we are made to feel so disempowered to truly instigate change, but I feel sure, and witness daily, other ways of contributing.
I want to draw attention to the myriad ways in which a person may contribute to their wider societal ecologies. Someone who volunteers at a food bank, cleans plastic pollution on their weekends, turns a local green into a biodiverse meadow or thousands of other ways of deep commitment to a better world are, to me, the most valuable contributions one can make. In the voluntary simplicity movement many peoples core goal is to live harmoniously with the earth, including their human kin. How they enact this is another immeasurable contribution.
Self-taxation, or conscious voluntary taxation is an opportunity in circles inhabiting voluntary simplicity life-ways to give financially to systems, organisations, NGO's, charities and non-profits. It is to elect where taxes are most needed, often within our own communities.
Looking at our tax system and how many of the goals it reinforces are so out of line with a more beautiful world, I have decided to pay money into systems I have more trust in. It is an opportunity to redefine where tax money is directed; away from systems of oppression/destruction and into systems of liberation. I personally do so in full trust that my small contribution has a net positive impact compared to simply allowing myself to be taxed by the state with those funds being distributed in a standardised manner.Â
Currently 21.9% of each taxed pound goes into healthcare- largely funding our NHS service. As beautiful as the NHS is in theory, it is, unfortunately, largely tied into the industrial medical model that treats symptoms, not causes. It is stuck in a spiral of ill health it cannot combat, so it fights fires. It is beholden to a medical model that is demonstrably failing. I'll put roughly 20% of my self-taxed money toward holistic health efforts that endeavour to create a healthy populace. This could look like healthy food projects, health education programmes, fighting against marketing of unhealthy foods, supporting mens suicide prevention projects or organisations working for higher quality school meals. This is a holistic NHS. I have a strong sense that putting my money into such projects will actually save the NHS more money than I would likely be paying in tax on an average salary.Â
The same story might go for education, which receives 10%, or transport (4.5%). I can refuse to pay for new motorways or oil subsidies and instead plug an entire 4.5% toward cycle paths, for example.Â
A large percentage of tax money goes to ‘business and industry’. Let us not forget bank bailouts following corruption, which left the UK taxpayer liable for £1.2 trillion with a cost of nearly £124 billion (approximately 10-years current spend on environmental protection!). Do I really want my tax to pay for bankers bonuses and unjust/anti-environmental investments such as the industrial oil-pharmaceutical-agricultural-prison-war subsidies, research and payment?Â
So much tax is going into upholding systems I want to see gone. Why would I invest in these?
Put in a few words, by living a voluntarily simple lifestyle, within my means, I live well, with a high quality of life, totally legally on less than £12,500 per year, so technically I owe no taxes. I fill out my tax return and my bill stands at £0. I elect to give a reasonable portion of what I earn to projects that act in a similar way to what taxes claim to do, but I am able to choose to invest in systems I trust and am able to withhold from being personally invested (via tax) in environmental destruction, war, corrupt banks and industrial agriculture. Organisations like 1% For the Planet help me do this well and hold me accountable, and beyond them there is no limit to the wonderful projects we can elect to support. I find the experience of voluntary taxation to be one imbued with active hope, interacting with and supporting projects that are wholeheartedly making the world a better place for everyone.Â
If I ever earn more than I need, I will increase my voluntary taxation. It will always be beyond the percentage that would be asked of me by the government, and none of it will go into supporting socio-ecological degradation. Quite the opposite.Â
This is one way of being a contributing member of society.Â
Of course, the topic is complex and taxes do indeed go to many good causes, for which I am deeply grateful. I in no way mean to suggest that this is what I think everyone should do, but I do feel sure that those who chose to live lives of voluntary simplicity might elect voluntary taxation, and those millionaire tax avoiders, well, lets hope there is a movement where they elect to put that money into the system in the best ways possible, which might not be by simply paying their national tax bills. How do you feel about that, Mr Bezos? Caffè Nero?
Percentages taken from: https://www.riftrefunds.co.uk/advice/guides/this-is-exactly-how-your-taxes-are-spent/
Bailout numbers taken from: