By N.K.A. Ballal, Retd. Sr. Vice-President, ITDC
An email from an Indian in the UK: My salary in UK is 61,000 pounds per annum without tax. (61,000 x 80 = INR 48,80,000). I pay 40 percent tax on my salary. 48,80,000 - 19,52,000 = INR 29,28,000 balance. Then 700 pounds per month as house rent, 140 pounds per month as council tax, about 100 pounds for gas and electricity per month. 500 pounds as water bill per annum. About 1,000 pounds per annum car insurance and 250 pounds road tax per annum (you can’t drive a car in UK without insurance and road tax). Total comes to 18,570 x 80 = INR 15,85,000. 29,28,000 - 15,85,000= INR 13,44,000. All these bills are non-negotiable and paid by all human beings living in UK. About 40 percent UK residents pay income tax. Some bills like gas and electricity depend on usage but have to be paid. Add to these all daily living expenses like food, petrol, mobile, WiFi, etc. And all these are much more expensive than in India. That’s why UK is developed, roads are good and clean, government schools are best, with 24 hours electricity and water. I am telling just basic things. Forget about advanced and complex things (like tax on property, capital gain tax on selling a property, etc). Remember, UK is a net importer of food, clothes, things of daily life, petrol and petroleum products. Size of UK is about the size of the State of Uttar Pradesh and 1/3 of its population.
