You're right, and please don't think I am asking you to cry a river -- but one final attempt at explaining the 100k issue -
* Bills go up by an unpredictable amount
* Mortgage rates go up at an unpredictable pace
Person below £100k has "options" that person on 100k doesn't e.g. overtime. Person on £100k gets taxed approx. 60% on every £1 over £100k, AND if they have kids, immediately lose/need to pay back the £2k childcare allowance.
I did the maths - £100k -> £106k is a net "£200" in your pocket after tax and paying 'benefits' back. That means it costs £5,800 to unlock an extra £200 (FOR THE YEAR).
So say you earn £5,200 a month and you are slammed on mortgage because you've cut your cloth according to your salary (go look up a post
@Scam made to hypothetical breakdown a £100k earners salary, post a big mortgage), and then you get a "one two" punch with mortgage and utilities -> you would need to earn SUBSTANTIALLY more to cover your outgoings, or simply go broke. Folk on £100k are in a rock and a hard place because "in theory" they are loaded, but in reality, the struggle is just different. Yes, they could live in a low cost of living location, and most do - to offset the cost of childcare - but it soons comes back as most £100k roles will expect some level of mobility at the employees expense.
It isn't easy to be on £100k and the "top yourself up" by enough to make a meaningful difference each month. People in that bracket are helpless to substantial price rises, unless they do what nobody on any tax brackets wants to do - up sticks, move, gentrify a dump and then price out the locals. All because the taxation at £100k is
unfair and disproportionate.
As I said before, the tapering allowance changes behaviours and doesn't help taxation at all - because people simply top up their pensions and/or get an electric car. Net receipts for the government down, net receipts for the person down --- the only beneficiary is the pension providers.
