BN66 - Court of Appeal and beyond

[warlord]

FT -LINK

Come on everyone, the FT page does not have 3000 comments yet! Last time I looked, it was 16 or so. What a shocker for the editorial staff to come in Tuesday and see over one thousand comments! We can make this happen, only takes a minute. Get commenting...

DONE......

[GottaBeOptimistic]

DONE......

Also posted.

Some muppet called "IT Contractor" has had a pop at some of the comments. Ill informed idiot.

[OnYourBikeGB]

I see one of our 'colleagues' has done their best to torpedo our efforts. 3000 ruined families is obviously ok with him / her because their view of the integrity of our profession. Seeing as they have kindly left a link to our forum as well as some sweeping generalisations about how we're all in the top 1% of earners, and were all set to move onto the next get rich quick scheme, I'd like to say this to anyone who follows the link back to here:

1) Welcome

2) Please read the summary at the very start of the thread for the background

3) We are not trying to avoid court at all, quite the contrary, we are willing and indeed eager to go to court so we can move on with our lives.

4) We do not oppose anti-avoidance legislation - we only oppose retrospective legislation to outlaw something that was clearly lawful.

5) The reason that most of us ended up using this scheme was because of IR35. Please read up on it. At the time it was described as a tax that defined us as being employees for tax purposes only. In other words, very high taxes, no employment rights. Was that fair? Is that the spirit of the law and enterprise?

6) Contrary to what you read on the FT site, many of us are not in the pay bracket listed. Many of us were not even in the scheme for years when the retrospective legislation came in.

7) Montpelier were only one of several companies. As you read through this thread, you will see that amongst others, major accountancy firms such as PwC and KPMG were also involved.

8) We understand this is controversial, but please read the thread, and you will realise that we are ordinary people with families that are facing disaster. You will read some posts by members of this forum whose lives have been devastated by the legislation. Depression, family breakups and many bleak thoughts. There is anger here. At the end of it, I would ask that you alongside your view on tax avoidance, also ask, in the light of everything that you have read, do you believe we have been treated fairly and honestly by HMRC? Or do you believe, even though you take a dim view of tax-avoidance, that was there an unfairness and murkiness about how HMRC have acted both in their treatment of us and was there a contempt for Parliament about how this came into being. Which is the greater crime?

9) If you do want to comment, one way or the other, then I'd ask that you do not do it here. The reason for this is that this is where we come together to air our views. It is in effect the only support we have, and we are a group of individuals in a very bad place. We have fought hard, not to be let off, but to have our day in court. But comments on other forums on in response to anything you might read on other websites is obviously entirely up to yourselves. I'd ask that they are reasoned and fair, and not just grinding an axe. If you do comment, and your view of us is negative, I'd ask that you also comment on how you feel HMRC have behaved and the Treasury.

10) Thank-you for taking the time to be interested, no matter what your opinion is. You would not believe how difficult it has been to get anyone interested at all.

[OldITGit]

Does IT Contractor not realise

that in another 8 years he could be a target for the modus operandi that he uses to contract currently, be it umbrella or Limited Company. I cannot believe how short sighted he is.

[ALMAC]

It contractor

I wonder if IT CONTRACTOR is Alan Jones or possibly even HMRC?

[ringodingo]

DONE......

Also done

[moira under the stairs]

Chins Up

We will of course come across resistance one way or another during our campaign, be it from ill-informed individuals or government ministers, people with alternative agendas (Alan), time wasters and those that feel if I can’t you shouldn’t either, chin up and fight on.

[moira under the stairs]

FT

Also done

ditto

[OnYourBikeGB]

We will of course come across resistance one way or another during our campaign, be it from ill-informed individuals or government ministers, people with alternative agendas (Alan), time wasters and those that feel if I can’t you shouldn’t either, chin up and fight on.

Actually - it appears to have fanned the flames. Maybe it will be picked up on now. Like you say, there will always be resistance, but there will also be support, and there will most definitely be, even amongst those who would like to give us a bit of a kicking, deep unease about how this has come about, even among the smirking pious.

[Dieselpower]

Actually - it appears to have fanned the flames. Maybe it will be picked up on now. Like you say, there will always be resistance, but there will also be support, and there will most definitely be, even amongst those who would like to give us a bit of a kicking, deep unease about how this has come about, even among the smirking pious.

Precisely.