The singles oppose higher taxes: Poll
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Nearly half of Thais insist that they will not get married even if the government raises taxes on the singles, according to NIDA Poll.
The respondents, 49.24 per cent, said they are willing to pay higher taxes rather than entering a wed lock.
The poll, conducted during September 12-14 and covering 1,249 legally-single respondents, showed that only 27.62 per cent of the respondents said that they would quicken their marriage decisions if the singles are to pay higher taxes. 11.69 per cent said they would defy the rule and campaign for a fight among the singles. 4.48 per cent said they would find a pseudo spouse to avoid taxes.
In another category of the poll, the majority of Thais, 90.79 per cent, opposed the proposed levy of income taxes on the singles, citing privacy violation, according to the NIDA poll.
They said that the progressive tax rates, based on individual income, remains proper.
The minority, 4.32 per cent, agreed with the proposal, saying that this will encourage marriage and increase the government's tax revenue.
Assoc Prof Dujduan Phanthumavin, a lecturer of NIDA's School of Social and Environmental Development, personally believed that if the proposal becomes law, it could pose some social problems. For example, will this affect single parents whose expenses are already high? Will the third sex be allowed to registered marriage?
If the objective is to increase birth rate and workforce, higher taxes are not a good solution as this could encourage tax evasion, she said.
She noted that to cope with the ageing society, a better solution is to help people prepare for the retirement life. Meanwhile, new technology can replace some workers.
