By Carl Parslow
RECEIVING your first payslip feels like a win. You have put in the hours, done the work and now you are finally earning. But then you look at the document. The number you had in mind, your gross pay, is not what lands in your account. A fairly large portion has disappeared. Income tax. Social security. Welcome to the real world.
This moment, while sobering, is important. It is not just about money, it is about power. Because once the government starts taking a slice of your earnings, you are no longer just an Islander. You are a taxpayer. And that means you are funding the system, whether you like it or not.
In Jersey, the tax system is relatively straightforward (sort of). A flat 20% income tax rate applies to most earners, alongside social security deductions that fund pensions, healthcare and other public services. These deductions are not optional. They are built into the system. But what is less clear is where your hard-earned money actually goes, and whether it is being used wisely.
The official explanation is that your taxes pay for roads, schools, the Hospital and emergency services. And they do. But they also pay for things you probably did not ask for, did not vote for, and might not even know exist.
Government spending in Jersey, like everywhere else, has a habit of expanding quietly. Programmes are launched with good intentions and vague outcomes. Consultants are hired to write reports nobody reads. Departments grow, budgets swell and inefficiencies pile up. And the bill? That is on you.
This matters more now than ever. Jersey’s politics are drifting leftward. The language is all about fairness, inclusion and support for the vulnerable. These are noble goals, certainly. But they come with a price tag. Left-leaning policies tend to mean more spending, on housing subsidies, income support, expanded healthcare and public sector pay rises. These policies are often sold as progressive, but they are rarely cost-neutral. Someone has to pay for them. And that someone is you.
The more ambitious the government becomes, the more it needs from you. And in a small economy like Jersey’s, there are not many places to hide. There is no vast industrial base, no oil reserves, no billion-pound exports. The tax base is narrow. So when spending goes up, taxes follow. Slowly, quietly, relentlessly.
Young earners are especially exposed. You are just starting out, with decades of tax payments ahead. You do not have assets to shield you, or offshore structures to soften the blow. You are the easiest target. And if you are not paying attention, you will be the first to feel the squeeze.
Consider the basics. Rent in Jersey is high. Add to that the cost of groceries, transport, mobile phone bills and the usual subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime. Then there is possibly a student debt, car insurance, and the occasional night out. Every pound matters. So when the government decides to spend more on a new initiative, and your tax bill creeps up, it is not just a line on a payslip, it is one less meal out, one more month delaying savings, one more reason why you have to stay in rather than go out with your friends.
And it does not stop there. The more the government promises, the more it must deliver. Universal benefits, subsidised housing, free services, all sound appealing, especially when you are young. But they are not free. They are funded by the working population. And as the political appetite for redistribution grows, so does the pressure to raise revenue. The direction is clear: more spending, more tax.
But not all spending is bad. The real question is not whether tax should be collected, it is what it should be spent on. If Jersey wants to future-proof its economy, it must invest in areas that create long-term value. One example is higher and further education. Jersey has long relied on finance and tourism, but these sectors alone cannot sustain future generations. Diversifying the economy means equipping young people with the skills to work in technology, creative industries, renewable energy and advanced services.
That means investing in digital skills training, coding academies and university-level courses in data science, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. It means supporting green technology start-ups, sustainable agriculture and marine innovation. It means building a local creative economy, film, design, gaming and media, that gives young people a reason to stay on the Island rather than leave.
These are not luxuries. They are strategic necessities. And they are a far better use of public money than bloated administration or endless consultations.
If you are going to pay tax, you should have a say in how it is spent. Should it go toward bloated administration and endless consultations? Or should it be directed toward building a smarter, more resilient economy that gives you better opportunities in the future? These are perhaps some of the questions young people need to ask.
The problem is, most young people are not paying attention. Politics feels distant, boring or irrelevant. But if you are earning money, politics is already affecting you. Every budget decision, every policy shift, every new initiative has a cost. And if you are not engaged, you are letting others decide how your money is spent.
That is risky. Because once spending becomes entrenched, it is hard to reverse. Programmes rarely get scrapped. Bureaucracies do not shrink. And politicians, keen to please, rarely say no. The result is a slow, steady rise in the cost of government. And that means higher taxes, not just now, but in the future.
So, what can you do?
First, understand what is being taken from you. Look at your payslip. Know what income tax and social security mean. Then ask where that money goes. Is it funding something useful? Or is it disappearing into a black hole of inefficiency?
Second, pay attention. Read the news. Follow local debates. Ask questions. Jersey is small enough that your voice actually matters. A few hundred engaged young people could shift the political conversation. Silence, on the other hand, guarantees more of the same.
Third, vote. It is not glamorous, but it is powerful. Politicians respond to pressure. If young people start demanding accountability, transparency, and restraint, they will listen.
Demand a workable costed manifesto when the next election comes around, don’t accept the usual “we will save the world type of narrative”. Ask the awkward questions. If not, they will keep spending – and taxing – without challenge.
Your first payslip is more than a financial document. It is a wake-up call. It tells you that you are now part of the system. You are funding it. And if you do not like how it is run, you need to speak up. Because the more Jersey leans left, the more it will spend. And the more it spends, the more it will take, from you.
Politics is not something that happens to other people. It is happening to you, right now, every time you get paid. The question is whether you will ignore it, or do something about it.
Born and educated in the Island, Carl Parslow is an experienced Jersey Advocate and notary public with over 25 years’ experience. He heads up Parslows LLP business legal services department, advising corporates and individuals on a range of issues with a particular emphasis on acting for Jersey owner-managed businesses. Outside of work, he enjoys rugby and cycling with Lasardines.
