New Guardian exposé of tax avoidance

Also a point of order Evasion is a criminal offence and has been for years

One could argue Apple and all the others are evading tax not avoiding it and yet no laws are broken.

But they’re not offered it so its a stupid point, offer the poorest some money, yes of course they’d probably take it but they aren’t are they?

What is stupid is saying that they have more care ,love and respect for the nation. They don’t.

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They pay tax so they have a valid stake in how the Country should be run, a patriot pays his taxes.

Gonna play Bazza’s advocate here and say that the reason there is a difference is that the average man on the street doesn’t actively go out of his way or hire someone to make sure he is paying as little as possible or no tax whatsoever, and doesn’t mind contributing to the nations coffers. Despite the ineptitude of how the government spends it.

Have to disagree with you there.

When I was an accountant, I have loads of self employed clients paying me to put through dubious expenses to reduce their tax bill. They were most definitely your average nman in the street.

Your PAYE worker doesn’t pay anyone to reduce their tax bill because the cost outweighs any reward. If however they could save a grand by paying an accountant £500, they wouldnt hesitate.

Is that still not the point, the inherent unfairness of it?

The ability to dodge tax is basically only open to those that can afford to employ the means to do it - and therefore probably less in need of actually doing so?

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But they can’t so that argument is irrelevant, your gun lobby argument is trying to justify one behaviour by saying another would do it.

Maybe just the way I wrote it but not what I was trying to say, is it fair to say there is a difference between funneling/laundering/’‘investing’’ your income out of the country and trying to save a few hundred quid off of a 5k annual tax bill? yes I know thin end of the wedge and all that but still :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

My brother worked with bands on how to spread and lose money (offshore etc), these liberals who sing songs about wanting equality do nothing of the sort in reality, I won’t say who the bands are but they are right at the top of the tree.

When did taxation become the accepted guide to establish patriotism?

This is a funny old forum.

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Well some of these chaps were ground workers earning a fairly low wage - they had to employ an accountant cos they needed help with the returns.

I not disputing the fairness of the situation, only one of Barry’s assertions that you average Paye workers is supposedly some uber patriot because they cannot avoid tax.

tis all.

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I’d go along with that, maybe I was arguing a different point. Time for a nap this is all getting too much.

Because in irony most right wingers and patriots love flying the flag but in the same time don’t fund the UK NHS system and subvert the rules on paying said taxes in Great Britain, they aren’t being a patriot in avoiding taxes.

Were they PAYE or self employed?

And as if by magic

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ayesha-carmouche/why-tax-dodging-is-fundamental_b_18494172.html

I pay the tax that I legally have to .

Yawning gap between legally and morally. Having the money to divert money away from where it should go isn’t commendable, imagine if we all did that?