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Notes -
As I understand it, one problem is that in our modern, (relatively) light touch economy*, fiddling with tax incentives is one of the government’s favourite ways to incentivise or disincentive things. Want to incentivise children? Then why not say that people have to pay 20% less VAT on a car purchase when they provide proof they’ve bought a child seat (so as not to be seen unfairly penalising the childless). Or the endless bickering about charitable offsets. Half the loopholes are there on purpose and the other half arise from the constant attempts to give out pork.
*As opposed to medieval monarchies or autocracies where people are comfortable giving orders.
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