Taxes and commies

Thursday School Journal

It is Current Events morning in Room 13 at Kia Kaha Primary School!

Current events means you find out what has been happening in the world lately.
Current Events is not as much fun as it used to be.

Ms Barry says, 
who has found a story that made you feel happier?

Thomas is the only one with his hand up.
He says,
I found one about a ship, Miss.
It was lost in Antarctica for a hundred years and no one knew where it had gone after it got crushed to pieces in the ice.
But a New Zealander did some calculations and they put a drone into the water with a camera and they found it and it looked way cool.
My Dad said there's a Malaysian Airlines plane everyone’s been looking for and maybe this guy could work out where that one is too.

That's a very good idea Thomas,
says Ms Barry,
can you tell us a bit more about the missing plane?

Thomas shakes his head, 
That's all I know Miss,
cos then Grandpa Roger said if this guy’s that much of a gun maybe he could even work out where they’re hiding Clarke Gayford and all the nose powder.
Then him and Mum started shouting at each other again.

Ms Barry says,
Did anyone find a story that was hard to understand? 
All the children have their hands up now.

Ciara is next to the laptop. She says,
Miss, this is Mike’s Minute that Dad was listening to in the car.
He started waving his hands around and saying
see, I told you we’re being run by commies.

Ciara presses play.
A man called Mike is talking.
He sounds like he is auctioning a house, or trying to sell you one.

Mike says,
Everyone earns money, spends money, and is an expert when they don’t have enough.
They also know that on the average wage, you are not rich or anywhere close to it,
and yet a chunk of your income is taxed at the highest level.
Add GST and over half your income heads to the Government.

Ms Barry says,
thank you Ciara, would you like to share what was hard to understand? 

Ciara says,
All of it Miss.
Like, Jackson my brother is in Year 13 and he knows lots of stuff
and he started rolling his eyes and saying
Why do you listen to him Dad the guy’s a total assclown?

And Dad said
Wait until you start paying taxes.
And Jackson said
I'm looking forward to it, if it’ll pay for a cycle lane so I don't have to sit here every morning listening to this fool.

And Dad said,
He's not wrong though. Tell me where he’s wrong.

And Jackson says,
Well for starters no-one pays anything like that much tax on the average income,
that is just so much bullshit Dad.

But then we got to the gate and Dad let me out and he was so busy arguing with Jackson he didn't even see me get out until Livia’s Mum blasted the horn behind him.

So I suppose I want to know who's right and who is the assclown Miss?

The class giggles.
Ms Barry smiles.
She says,
Can you bring the laptop over here Ciara?
That might be the easiest way to do this.

Ms Barry taps the keyboard.

Now Mike’s Minute has gone and there is a new site called Calculate Your Tax.

Ms Barry says,
Let's say you earn 60,000 dollars a year.
That's what the statistics department says is our average wage.
We put that number in here and then it tells us how much tax you pay.

The site says:
Your tax on 60,000 will leave you with 48,146.
That is a tax rate of 19.76%. 

Ms Barry says,
Now, if we add GST that’s another 15%,
which would take it to 35%

Ms Barry says,
Who can remember their percentages?
Can you tell me what half of all your income is in percentages?

It’s 50% Miss,
says Neesha.

That’s right, Neesha,
says Ms Barry,
now, is 35% the same as 50%?

No Miss, says Neesha, not even LOL.

Okay let's try a higher number,
says Ms Barry,
let’s put in 80,000.

The site says:
Your tax on 80,000 will leave you with 61,568.
That is a tax rate of 23.04%.

Ms Barry says,
if we add GST of 15%, that comes to 38%.
Is 38% the same as 50%, class?

No Miss,
says all of Room 13.

Let’s try 100,000,
says Ms Barry

The site says:
Your tax on 100,000 will leave you with 74,690.
That is a tax rate of 25.31%.

Ms Barry says,
Does 25 plus 15 equal 50?

No Miss,
says Room 13.

One last try,
says Ms Barry,
let’s do 200,000

The site says:
You get 140,060 and pay 29.97%

It also says:
You have just crossed into the higher tax rate of 39%.
This only applies on the money you earn over 180,000,
not the first 180,000 as well,
just in case you have been listening to Christopher Luxon
or that assclown Mike Hosking.

It doesn't really say that.
But it would be helpful if it did.

Ms Barry says,
Who else has something to share?

Chlöe says,
I have one Miss, but I don't know if it's right.

Let’s hear it anyway,
says Ms Barry.

Chlöe reads out,
I have the best advice for women in business,” Kim Kardashian says. “Get your f--king ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.” 

Chlöe looks at Ms Barry.
Ms Barry looks sad.

Chlöe says,
Is that really true, Miss?

Ms Barry says,
The richer some people get,
the more they seem to need to feel they earned it,
even if they had all kinds of advantages.
It can make them say some silly things.
Do you like to work, Chlöe?

Yes Miss, says Chlöe.

There’s your answer,
says Ms Barry.

Ms Barry looks around the room.
She thinks about asking if anyone has a story about Ukraine.

But the sun is shining outside.

She says,
Who’s ready for a quick run around the field?