This is double-taxing wages

Dear Editor,

I must protest the Government's proposed tax on withdrawals from financial institutions. We have heard the response of some citizens that they won't put anything in the bank so there will be nothing to withdraw. But many of us do not have that choice since our wages are lodged directly to financial institutions.

I wonder if the Minister of Finance is aware that many employers are avoiding the costs associated with payrolls by electronically transferring wages to their employees' accounts and therefore all employees (including those with very low wages) are obliged to have an account with a bank or other financial institution. Already this means that employees have to incur bank charges in order to access their wages.

By taxing withdrawals, the Government is taxing our wages again. So, having paid over 25 per cent at source, we will now be expected to pay an additional tax before we can collect the salary for which we have worked hard. This is double taxation and it is also a way of taxing those whose salaries fall below the tax threshold. This is immoral!

Mr Minister, think again. The poor can take no more.

Vivienne Harding

vivann90@hotmail.com

This is double-taxing wages

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