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Apparently there are people earning more than £150,000 a year who would leave the country rather than pay 50p tax (Head to head, 8 September). If so, these are people who value money – way more than they need or than most people will ever see – over helping those less fortunate; over respect for the country's democratic institutions; over loyalty to the country that enabled them to become so rich. I don't want to share my country with these moral pygmies – they are a bad influence on my children. The sooner they leave, the better.
Dave Dalton
Richmond, North Yorkshire
• I'm sorry the CBI thinks the 50p tax rate is causing "quite a bit of bother" (Report, 7 September). We, too, belong to a section of the community that is suffering "quite a bit of bother", since my wife was born in 1953 and is having to wait an extra four years for her pension, an effective tax of £5,000 a year for four years.
Roger Harrison
Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire
• Why is a tax rate of 50% on earnings over £150,000 a serious disincentive, whereas an effective tax rate of 65% on income as a result of the withdrawal of benefits is an incentive for those on around £10,000 to get work?
Derek Haselden
Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
• How many of these "entrepreneurs and job creators" in fact get their high income by job-cutting and depressing wages, often subsidised via tax credits?
Dr John Gilleece
Belfast
• The suggestion that the 50% tax rate discourages entrepreneurs is nonsense. Very few entrepreneurs are on the 50% tax rate, or even aspire to be. Those who seek to make their fortune plan to do so by selling their company and the income from that is taxed at just 10%. It is the likes of bankers, lawyers and managers at major corporates that make up the top 1% of earners, who are above the £150k limit. I can't imagine why the proponents felt these groups would not evoke public sympathy and evoked the valiant entrepreneur instead.
Henry Stewart
Chief executive, Happy Ltd
• Delaying the cut of the 50p tax rate for a further two-years until 2013 is a negative move by the government (Report, 8 September). It needs to be dealt with and cut now. It is well recognised that total tax revenue rises with lower marginal rates as people don't leave the country to avoid tax and don't take such steps to avoid tax if they stay. With national insurance, top taxpayers pay over 50%, which means they are working more for the taxman than themselves. And let's not forget, people who earn such money work very hard for their incomes. These high earners are often the creators of businesses and therefore jobs for those who do not have the same talent, management skills or qualifications. Do we really want to punish them for their successes and risk losing this hotbed of talent? A reduction now will encourage entrepreneurship in the UK, bring in talent and boost the economy.
John Kelly
Chartered accountant partner, Square One Financial Planning LLP
• To cite the loss of future charitable contributions, as Bridget Rosewell does, goes against everything I've witnessed while rattling tins outside of large supermarkets. The biggest contributions come from those who look as though they can afford the least, while those well-dressed souls on their way to their 4x4s and luxury German cars invariably avoid eye contact.
Rod White
Dursley, Gloucestershire
• I wonder how many of those 20 economists pay the highest rate of tax? If none of them then, clearly they are not very good economists. Otherwise, well they would say that, wouldn't they?
Andy Dobson
London
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