Re: Tax avoidance

Yes Barry but then Milliband wasn't born with a 'silver spoon' in his mouth unlike Cameron. That doesn't excuse Milliband or indeed any other so-called Labour Member or Member of Parliament. I would paint with a 'broad brush' and catch 'em all. Those that are 'caught' would be banned from holding any office, any medals or honours would also be taken from them.

Re: Tax avoidance

I think we have got to face the fact that several senor members of the present government have got a vested interest in maintaining the present arrangements.

Can you imagine the reaction if Dave went for sunday lunch to his parents and announced over the roast beef that he was changing the rules so it was going to cost them several million quid !!

He would probably get cut out of the inheritance that his dad has got stashed away in the Bahamas

Re: Tax avoidance

The more I think about this the more convinced I am that you are wrong - he has done something illegal.

If you or I went into the bosses office and asked for him not to pay you for the work you do but to give you a "non repayable loan" instead and then to ring up inland revinue and tell them that you are not earning any wages so he isnt deducting any tax he would tell you he's not going to do it because its illegal.

So why is it any different for rich people.

Re: Tax avoidance

I still maintain that tax avoidance is not a party political issue, for example how much tax did Blair pay last year on his quillions...they are all at it and it needs stopping, whoever is in charge...

Re: Tax avoidance

Absolutely agree.

Re: Tax avoidance

You are right of course plantman.

My point is about vested interests and expectations that they can be ignored for people in power to do the right thing for the majority rather than the select few

Re: Tax avoidance

P.S.

You an't get away from them either - look at the tax rates we had under Wilson. Vested interests in reverse.

Re: Tax avoidance

Barry, it might surprise you learn that it matters not of which political persuasion they belong, but if they have defrauded or otherwise failed to pay their 'dues' to the Revenue, then all their wealth should be stripped from them, and they be barred from holding ANY office for the remainder of their life, and that includes BLIAR who I still regard as a war criminal.

Re: Tax avoidance

If I had my way matey, anyone receiving salary and/or dividends more that £100,000, would be paying an upper tax rate, not of 45p, but 75p. Anyone with a salary and or dividends over £1m, would pay £1.10 in the £1.00 Income Tax. No excuses, no disregards!!!

Re: Tax avoidance

I think Cameron was way out of line singling out one person when members of his own party have probably done similar things. The name Ashcroft springs to mind.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...x-conservative
If loopholes are there people will use them, the answer would be to simplify the tax system and remove loopholes.

There is another way of looking at this .
Some of the taxes we pay go into the communal pot to provide for essential services, that's fine and as it should be. The rest is used as the government of the day chooses.

If I worked really hard, made stacks of money, paid a small amount of tax as my share of the communal pot (which would probably by the equivalent of the amount many people paid anyway) would I be wrong in trying to preserve as much of the remainder of my income as possible to spend as I choose rather than seeing the government squander it on pointless things an example being the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and paying overseas aid to countries that don't need it.

I could use the money to secretly support a Hospice. Even if I only spent lavishly in this country on goods and services I would be helping to boost the economy which is more than can be said for most governments.

I am not saying what Jimmy Carr did was ok, just something else to think about .