More tax revelations
 

Once again we find loads of people/companies (including some of the lefty leaning but capitalist loving great and the good) have been avoiding as much tax as they can and in some cases in spite of what they preach to others or being the world's richest company...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41889787

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41886608

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41878305

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41880153

https://www.theguardian.com/news/201...aradise-papers

I note the Guardian makes plenty of comment whilst having their own questions to answer about the tax they pay and how their company is set up with regard to tax liability.

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/0...-arrangements/

The amount of vitriol the targets are subjected to doesn't, however, always seem to correlate to the sums avoided but more how popular they are. Double standards clearly but what's new though eh?... :shrug:

Re: More tax revelations
 

The Queen ? Lefty leaning ? How very dare you ! (although I did have my suspicions ;) )

Re: More tax revelations
 

lol. Prince Philip's always been on-message but I've had my concerns about Prince Charles despite his love of countryside sports.
Saw something about a Russian with shares in two Premier League clubs yesterday and one of Trump's crooked guys making bucks from sanctioned Russians so really must catch up on today's developments!

Re: More tax revelations
 

Seems mostly like Jealousy, there is no indication that these people are breaking any laws.

Pretty much anyone would avoid taxes if they could.

Re: More tax revelations
 

Surely it's sensible self-interest not jealousy? The more taxes the rich and multinationals pay, the more money spent on the NHS or alternatively, the less tax you and I have to pay?

Re: More tax revelations
 

Don't be fooled by this not breaking any laws guff, 80% of aggressive tax avoidance schemes are found not to be legal in court and yet we swallow it, we allow people to get away with comparing stuff like this to having an isa or shopping in duty free.

Re: More tax revelations
 

In which case, the Government should change the law.

It's all very well people trying to rubbish the rich for what they are doing, but if it is legal, I think people should shut up about it.

If they want to protest, they should protest to the Government about our lax tax laws.

Re: More tax revelations
 

As we know, avoidance is legal and evasion isn't. It's up to governments to determine where the lines are to be drawn between and then enforce them. The problem is that the tax system is so complicated that it's very hard to do effectively, especially when many other countries are quite happy to be havens of one sort or another.

What sticks in the throat however is the double standards and hypocrisy evident both on the part of some of the companies and individuals involved in minimising their own tax whilst preaching morals to the rest of us but also the manner in which some are harshly targeted by the media and general public whereas others are not. It's easy to make a gesture to boycott a coffee shop chain in order to pressure them to change their policy but not so easy to boycott the maker/supplier of products and services you love and rely on like Apple's for example.

Re: More tax revelations
 

What sticks in my throat is the double standards of those corrupt and in power when it comes to tax evasion and benefit cheats. One rule for the riff raff, one rule for us and our accountants.

Re: More tax revelations
 

Well l have no sympathy for benefit cheats as they should have the book thrown at them but in comparison to tax evasion that is a much bigger problem IMO and yet it continues to go on unabated.

Re: More tax revelations
 

no one with an ounce of sense would pay a single penny more than they have to in tax as long as it's legal to do so .

Re: More tax revelations
 

If you believe that then you really are more gullible than I thought.

If laws are being broken, then they should be held accountable.
If laws are not being broken then people need to stop whinging about it.

We already seem to have plenty of witch hunts on the go.

Re: More tax revelations
 

If only I had enough income to do so..:D

Re: More tax revelations
 

I don't know about that, Den. There seems to be a lot of confusion between tax evasion and tax avoidance.

If the law is too complicated to enforce, the solution seems to be straight forward to me. Simplify it, dear Henry, dear Henry.... :idea:

Re: More tax revelations