Tax avoidance and evasion to be merged

[cojak]

At least that's how it appears to me.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...al_offence.pdf

How are the tax planning specialists going to find fresh meat now?

[pacontracting]

My view is that laws are created when people decide not to let common sense dictate their actions and do something that the majority of people find a bit naughty! I'm sure the average caveman knew that whacking his rival over the head with a stick was wrong, but as there were no laws, decided to do it anyway. Hence the law forbidding murder was created - a rule that made it quite clear this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated.

Currently, offshore accounts / fake loans etc are avoidance because there is no law against it. There are certain people who are happy to play this game so the government has no option but to legislate. Hopefully it will be retrospective.

[SueEllen]

UK tax regulations are a mess.

Other European countries have clearly defined laws which mean people don't have to rely on their common sense and take the p*ss by finding loopholes.

[pacontracting]

I guess the British government (historically) thought people were a bit more sensible. Obviously not.

[SueEllen]

I guess the British government (historically) thought people were a bit more sensible. Obviously not.

The laws weren't written for the likes of us.

Just shows more short term bigoted thinking by successive British governments......

[SpontaneousOrder]

I guess the British government (historically) thought people were a bit more sensible. Obviously not.

Or perhaps they realised that rinsing the productive incentivises them to be less productive.

[cojak]

The laws weren't written for the likes of us.

Just shows more short term bigoted thinking by successive British governments......

I definitely agree with this - that oft-quoted 1922 judge wasn't thinking about the proles when he made his comments.

This has come about because some of the unwashed masses are wealthy enough to also use the loopholes, spoiling the pool for the rich toffs who have done this for donkey's years.

[pacontracting]

I definitely agree with this - that oft-quoted 1922 judge wasn't thinking about the proles when he made his comments.

This has come about because some of the unwashed masses are wealthy enough to also use the loopholes, spoiling the pool for the rich toffs who have done this for donkey's years.

The labour government have been in power on and off since the second world war. Surely they can't have been that bad to miss this loophole...

[cojak]

The labour government have been in power on and off since the second world war. Surely they can't have been that bad to miss this loophole...

The proles have never been that rich until after 2000...

(And don't try to tell me that no-one in Labour also used those loopholes.)

[SueEllen]

The labour government have been in power on and off since the second world war. Surely they can't have been that bad to miss this loophole...

Have you looked at the background of any Labour politicians? The majority aren't exactly poor.

All political parties in the UK are full of politicians in the Commons who are wealthy mostly due to inherited wealth.