Britain faces some long, hard years paying back the price of the coronavirus pandemic.
And now a leaked Treasury document has listed some of the grim options for paying back a deficit that - it claims - may hit £337billion this year.
According to the Telegraph, officials have discussed freezing public sector pay for two more years - and ending the 'triple lock' which ensures bumper rises for pensions.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today said while he didn't recognise the "speculative" figures, the UK would not be returning to a "world of austerity".
The Treasury declined to comment on the report, but it is understood that the document is one of many put together by different teams to discuss ideas about future policy.
A source said the document "does not reflect Government policy".
Yet in a general sense, everyone acknowledges there's a huge cost to this pandemic.
Traditionally there are only a few ways to raise money - borrowing, austerity, and tax rises.
So without austerity, what kind of tax rises might we looking at? Here are five that are mooted in the document, according to the Telegraph.
1. Income Tax
Income Tax - ranging from 20% on most earnings to 45% for top earnings - is one of three taxes protected in a triple "tax lock" by Boris Johnson.
In the Tories' 2019 manifesto, the PM pledged not to raise Income Tax, VAT or National Insurance for the duration of the Parliament - potentially to 2024.
But according to the Telegraph, Treasury officials warn it will be "very challenging" to maintain the lock now so much has been spent on Covid-19.
The document claims it is "economically better to break the tax lock to achieve revenue of this scale than attempt to raise this level of revenue with this constraint".
A penny extra of Income Tax on each pound earned could reportedly raise £5bn a year.
2. VAT
VAT was also protected until 2024 by the Tories' "triple tax lock" but it could have to go up.
This would be bad news for Britain's poorest, who spend the highest proportion of their income on essential goods and services that carry VAT.
It is 20% on most goods and was raised to that rate from 17.5% in 2011.
Treasury officials believe a rise could "raise fiscally significant amounts", according to the Telegrah.
3. National Insurance
This seems the most likely rise - as it has already been hinted at by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
NI comes in many forms but the target for any change could be the self-employed.
Self-employed people with profits up to £50,000 a year pay National Insurance at a rate of 9% of profits.Most employees earning up to £50,000 a year pay 12%.
Mr Sunak said in March: "I must be honest and point out... it is now much harder to justify the inconsistent contributions between people of different employment statuses.
"If we all want to benefit equally from state support, we must all pay in equally in future."
Boris Johnson's plan for easing lockdown
4. An NHS surcharge
According to the Telegraph, officials have raised the idea of a "surcharge" to use the NHS or social care.
It is not clear from the reporting of the document how detailed this plan would be, or what services might incur a surcharge.
The Lib Dems have previously proposed an extra penny on income tax, dedicated to the health service.
5. New green taxes
According to the Telegraph, new "green taxes" are under discussion by Treasury officials.
Again, it is not clear what form they would take.