I do wonder if the super wealthy actively look for way not to pay tax or they are presented with a scheme by their advisers who say here is a way to cut your tax bill by x%. It is legal but right on the edge.
Maybe the governments should actively target the advisory firms. The Criminal Finances Act goes someway to adressing this but until the people at the top of these firms are held personally criminally and financially liable for the tax evasion scheme that their companies and staff promote, then it will continue.
They also need to introduce this legislation worldwide.
But that is the legal environment that has been created - companies will use all legal means at their disposal to maximise shareholder return. That is their boards priority. If you want them to stop, then create a tax system that prevents it.
If the UK levied a sales tax on internet transactions, then the likes of google and amazon wouldn’t have a choice but to contribute and if they refused to pay, then we can turn off their website (chinese seem to manage it) - you would soon find out just how much our market was actually worth to them
You can imagine my excitement when I got news of a Tax Rebate this morning…
HM Revenue Transaction Confirmation : 36802340581811 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please retain for your records
_ _ Thank you ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’ve tried to send your tax refund directly on your credit/debit card, but we don’t have that information stored. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have received this email to be notified that HM Revenue has issued a refund and you’ll receive a full refund of GBP 321.85 directly on your credit/debit card. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transaction details: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transaction for the value of: 321.85 Description: Subscription HM Revenue Merchant’s cart ID: 9CDD-401-647203 Authorisation Date/Time: 06/November/2017 07:28:33 HM Revenue transaction ID: 38793038855663 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want to receive your refund, complete your request here:Link provided
Of course I rushed off my card details to complete my unexpected rebate.
I said anyone who BELIEVES charity is a cold grey loveless thing is a cunt - though they may just be saying it as part of a dramatic statement.
Because in saying that they belittle the efforts of honest fundraisers, generous folk who give their time, and worthy organisations everywhere, including the people on here who have run marathons or coffee mornings, or supported charity through badge donations etc.
They do that from a desire to help - and that tends to come from a warm heart.
What about the work that the Saints Foundation does across the world, is that cold and loveless?
I believe it is done with genuine concern and in an effort to help people.
What about the efforts that Frannie Benali went to for Cancer Research, do you want to tell him that helping people is a bad thing?
So I disagree with you @pap , I believe that charity is worthy, noble and positive for a society where people help others worse off than themselves.
Even though Attlee did loads of good stuff, he made a right hamfisted job of getting across a message on this one and sounded like a cunt - which I suspect was not his intention.
If a rich man (or any man) wants to help the poor he needs to do more than pay his taxes. If it werent for charitable causes this country would be in a much worse state. For example, there would be no Air Ambulance, that saves countless lives in the SE every year. Research on cancer, heart disease etc would suffer. No point in going on but as we all know, it takes more than taxes to fund good deeds.