Once someone stumbles on a good idea, copycats are inevitable. This could be because effective ideas are hard to come by. But it’s also because most creative ideas, when distilled back to their core elements, can be applied across a range of ideas.
In this post, I’ve come up with 11 variations on the theme of Tax Freedom Day.
What is Tax Freedom Day?
Tax Freedom Day, calculated in the UK by free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute, is the theoretical calendar day when a country’s national income is reaches its tax take. It works on the idea that every penny earned up to that point is paid in taxes, and any money the nation earns after that, it keeps.
The idea is simple: it’s just taking a proportion of one thing and applying the same proportion to the calendar year.
It’s been replicated by others. The High Pay Centre think tank calculates Fat Cat Pay Day, which is how many days it takes a FTSE 100 chief executive to earn the UK’s national average wage (usually about four days if you’re interested).
Variations on the theme
So how else can this idea be applied? Here are 11 variations.
- Fuel Freedom Day
- Vin Liberte Day
- Proper Pint Day
- Full Measures Day
- Zero Hours Free Pay Day
- First Penny Earned Day
- Teetotal Day
- Fasting Day
- Cost of Basics Day
- Emergency Services Day
- Overservicing Day
When you’ve paid a year’s worth of petrol/diesel taxes. From here on you’re only paying for the actual fuel.
When you’ve paid the duties on bottles of wine. From here on you’re just paying for fermented grape juice.
Like the wine, but on your pint.
Like the pint, but on your scotch or vodka or gin or…
When those on zero hours contracts have earned money equivalent to the standard benefits and entitlements of those on permanent contracts.
When the average worker has earned the monetary equivalent of all the unpaid overtime British workers put in.
When the average Brit has drunk a year’s worth of recommended units of alcohol.
When the average Brit has consumer a year’s equivalent of daily calorie allowance.
The day when the average British person has earned enough to pay for gas, electricity, water, broadband and their phone.
The day when national income reaches the point where we’ve earned enough to pay for the police, fire and ambulance services. I suspect this day would fall much earlier in the year than many realise.
Finally, one for the consultants out there, the day when consultancies have billed the equivalent of all the overservicing they put in on client accounts.