Income Shifting

[drpaz]

So HMRC lost the Arctic Systems case and now want to stop us from running our companies the way that we were actually told to years ago!

Consultation paper (pdf) from HMRC: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/...e_shifting.pdf

PCG response with link to e-petition: http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php?...=3325&Itemid=1

The twist to the story: I am unleashing web 2.0 power by inviting all my friends (most of them NOT contractors but probably willing to support me) into a facebook group which opposes the tax and encourages members to sign the petition. My logic is that I know that most of the contractors in the UK will sign it, but I'm hoping to get other people involved. One of my facebook friends who is not a contractor herself has already signed and thanked me for bringing it to her attention as she is considering setting up a small business in the near future.

Even if it ends up being a 5 member group that gets no hits and gets completely disbanded I can at least say I tried!

If you are on facebook, please join this group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7182551324

[KevinS]

Your group might get beyond 20 members now that El Reg has reported on it..

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01...ctor_grumbles/

[drpaz]

El reg

I'm pleased they've done that! It is _slowly_ making a difference...

it's a sad thing but I'd probably get more hits if I sent an email to the youngest person in my friends list saying:

>OMG! If ya dnt join diz grp then it gets tracked 'n' they can find out what's in yr cmputer lol! Ize jo1ned it neways - you shud to0.

>If you don't send this to 10 peeple a baby seal will die.

..But I just can't bring myself down to that level

[Bluebird]

41 members of of.....

now

[tim123]

So HMRC lost the Arctic Systems case and now want to stop us from running our companies the way that we were actually told to years ago!

You are on to a loser.

It was bleeding obvious to all that IF HMRC lost the Arctic case NL were going to change the law so that this wasn't to be allowed in future.

Any (interested party) who thought otherwise was living in a fantasy world.

The best that you can hope for is a tweaking of the proposed rules, complete abandonment is as likely as my winning the lottery (I never by a ticket).

tim

[SueEllen]

You are on to a loser.

It was bleeding obvious to all that IF HMRC lost the Arctic case NL were going to change the law so that this wasn't to be allowed in future.

Any (interested party) who thought otherwise was living in a fantasy world.

The best that you can hope for is a tweaking of the proposed rules, complete abandonment is as likely as my winning the lottery (I never by a ticket).

tim

Stop being so miserable.

If people cause the government enough trouble they abandon laws i.e. poll tax or find it very difficult to enforce them.

[Bluebird]

Stop being so miserable.

If people cause the government enough trouble they abandon laws i.e. poll tax or find it very difficult to enforce them.

didn't they just rename it council tax ?

[tim123]

Stop being so miserable.

If people cause the government enough trouble they abandon laws i.e. poll tax or find it very difficult to enforce them.

And how is 2000 people filling in an e-petition going to do this?

Even if it were 20,000, it still isn't going to make them change their mind.

(I was born miserable BTW).

tim

[malvolio]

They're not going to change their mind, the decision has been made. It's wrong, vindictive, damaging and ill-conceived, but that's never stopped them yet. And if you use their own figures, it will bring in around £230m, which is 10% of bugger all - 0.4% of their commitment to Northern Rock, for example. So it's not being done to plug a yawning gap in tax income.

The e-petition is a waste of time IMHO. Write to your MP and complain about it, and if anyone tries to stiff you with a tax bill on this basis, appeal it as far as you can. But we will have to deal with in in April.

[SueEllen]

didn't they just rename it council tax ?

Nope they went back to the rates system, tinkered with it to add discounts and came up with a brand new name - "council tax"