No To Retro Tax – Campaign Against Section 58 Finance Act 2008

[Disgusted of Coventry]

"...Section 58 of Finance Act 2008 was enacted to help put that beyond doubt and in so doing, made dear that a wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme involving a foreign partnership comprised of foreign trustees did not work. As section 58 retrospectively clarified existing legislation, its introduction had no affect on any taxpayer's tax position..."

It sounds as if elements within HMRC are trying to invent the concept of virtual legislation. Isn't that a rather dangerous idea?

If s58 puts the matter beyond doubt, then they're implicitly admitting that they previously held the matter to be IN doubt (and therefore the responsibility of a Court to decide).

In fact, they're tacitly confirming that it was in SO MUCH doubt that they decided to retrospectively change the Law.

Am I being unnecessarily alarmist, or should Orwell be spinning in his grave? Because this is a perfect example of 'doublethink'!

(btw - many congratulations to smalldog & family!)

[SantaClaus]

It sounds as if elements within HMRC are trying to invent the concept of virtual legislation. Isn't that a rather dangerous idea?

If s58 puts the matter beyond doubt, then they're implicitly admitting that they previously held the matter to be IN doubt (and therefore the responsibility of a Court to decide).

In fact, they're tacitly confirming that it was in SO MUCH doubt that they decided to retrospectively change the Law.

Am I being unnecessarily alarmist, or should Orwell be spinning in his grave? Because this is a perfect example of 'doublethink'!

(btw - many congratulations to smalldog & family!)

I think you're right... Orwell should be spinning in his grave.

"Retrospectively clarified" is a contradiction in terms!

It would actually be quite funny if it hadn't driven people to suicide, divorce and bankruptcy.

[Basher]

Also just removed head from sand for a few days....

Further donation made to NTRT (well done all) and what savings I have left are now being put into a CTD (for what its worth).

As a side note, I was recently diagnosed with "chronic idiopathic urticaria" a very horrible and itchy all over body rash the just appears over night and one of the main causes of this is "stress".......hmmmmmmm, I wonder what could possibly be sstressing me out at the moment.

Well done Small Dog !

[Alba]

Stop UK aid to Pakistan unless taxes increase, urge MPs

I don't know about anyone else, but I am really starting to get angry! Where does the unfair & unjust interest and penalty monies go to??

The UK government should
withhold extra aid to Pakistan unless it does more to gather taxes from its wealthier citizens, a group of MPs has said .
The International Development Committee said British taxpayers should not be paying for health and education in Pakistan while rich Pakistanis were paying little tax.
They also urged ministers to ensure aid was focused on anti-corruption efforts.
Ministers said they were committed to ensuring tax reform took place.

The government is planning to double the amount of aid it provides to Pakistan from £267m in 2012-13 to £446m in 2014-15, making it the largest recipient of UK aid.
The committee accepted there was a "powerful case" for maintaining bilateral aid to Pakistan, which has "long-established ties" with the UK and "real poverty and serious security problems".

'Pakistani elite'

But the MPs said they could not support the use of British taxpayers' money for aid in Pakistan without ensuring the new Pakistani government, to be elected in May this year, was committed to reforming the tax system.
The report said Pakistan had a lower-than-average tax take, with only 0.57% of Pakistanis - 768,000 individuals - paying income tax last year.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
We cannot expect people in the UK to pay taxes to improve education and health in Pakistan if the Pakistani elite does not pay meaningful amounts of income tax”
End Quote
Sir Malcolm Bruce

Committee chairman
The committee also criticised the Department for International Development (DfID) for failing to put corruption, frequent absences in the rule of law and low tax collection at the top of the agenda for its governance work in Pakistan.

Lib Dem Sir Malcolm Bruce, chairman of the cross-party committee, said: "The committee is concerned that not enough tax is raised in Pakistan to fully finance improvements in the quality of life for poor people.

"In particular, we cannot expect people in the UK to pay taxes to improve education and health in Pakistan if the Pakistani elite does not pay meaningful amounts of income tax."

[DonkeyRhubarb]

Next newsletter

We're aiming to send it out on Friday 12th April.

[normalbloke]

Meeting still on with the PM

Just had confirmation from the PM's office that I still have a 15 minute slot at the PM's constituency surgery tomorrow. Whitehouse and NTRT have given me a (fairly extensive) briefing pack, so I will attempt to highlight the main points that he can help with, especially concerning Gauke and his merry band not falling for the HMRC 'spin' any more and showing him the web of deceit and lies that have gone before.

Wish me luck!

[smalldog]

Just had confirmation from the PM's office that I still have a 15 minute slot at the PM's constituency surgery tomorrow. Whitehouse and NTRT have given me a (fairly extensive) briefing pack, so I will attempt to highlight the main points that he can help with, especially concerning Gauke and his merry band not falling for the HMRC 'spin' any more and showing him the web of deceit and lies that have gone before.

Wish me luck!

Good luck NB!!!! big day for all of us...

[TalkingCheese]

Just had confirmation from the PM's office that I still have a 15 minute slot at the PM's constituency surgery tomorrow. Whitehouse and NTRT have given me a (fairly extensive) briefing pack, so I will attempt to highlight the main points that he can help with, especially concerning Gauke and his merry band not falling for the HMRC 'spin' any more and showing him the web of deceit and lies that have gone before.

Wish me luck!

Absolutely the best of luck normalbloke. Do your best...

[lucozade]

Just had confirmation from the PM's office that I still have a 15 minute slot at the PM's constituency surgery tomorrow. Whitehouse and NTRT have given me a (fairly extensive) briefing pack, so I will attempt to highlight the main points that he can help with, especially concerning Gauke and his merry band not falling for the HMRC 'spin' any more and showing him the web of deceit and lies that have gone before.

Wish me luck!

Good luck mate I hope he listens. I'm calling my MP back to finalize my appointment for next week. Another conservative - Mark Menzies.

[Basher]

Just had confirmation from the PM's office that I still have a 15 minute slot at the PM's constituency surgery tomorrow. Whitehouse and NTRT have given me a (fairly extensive) briefing pack, so I will attempt to highlight the main points that he can help with, especially concerning Gauke and his merry band not falling for the HMRC 'spin' any more and showing him the web of deceit and lies that have gone before.

Wish me luck!

Well done NB and good luck !