Dear Russell...

[minestrone]

Oh I'm not saying ignorance is an excuse legally only that morally it's harsh to say he's hypocrite IF he didn't know this was the case.

There is an argument that anyone in that kind of position needs to take extra care to make sure they're pure as snow to avoid these kind of issues but that's more for their own reputation and for the sake of not tarnishing their work with scandal.
For instance people I know in positions of church authority are super-cautious, they maybe won't meet someone of the opposite gender alone - not because they are nervous of anything happening - but because it means there is no way they can even be open to suspicion or malicious attack. Any sensible politician or whatever would be sensible to follow that kind of approach, making sacrifices for the sake of what they're trying to achieve.

Remember the COE criticized Wonga and 2 days later Wonga told the world that the COE had 80,000 quid worth of shares.

That was funny.

[vetran]

I think I'd cry with delight if he was found to be fiddling.
Please God, make it so.

I'm hoping he uses Jimmy Carr's accountant!

[minestrone]

Anyway when the church did get found out it apologised and admitted it was an ethical mistake, Russell just shouted a bit at a reporter and threatened to sue a paper, I wonder if he is still in that house.

[jmo21]

Anyway when the church did get found out it apologised and admitted it was an ethical mistake, Russell just shouted a bit at a reporter and threatened to sue a paper, I wonder if he is still in that house.

The church were investing in wonga. No evidence Brand is evading tax (yet!)

[Zero Liability]

Given his rhetoric, if he does engage in tax evasion or avoidance, it would be very hypocritical but this isn't unusual for high profile celebs who are on the "left", who advocate higher taxes for others. It's neither here nor there, for me, however. I think the biggest harm he does is distracting from genuine issues in the current politico-economic system, and protesting outside symptoms like RBS. What bloody good is that going to do? Just theatrics, really.

[minestrone]

The church were investing in wonga. No evidence Brand is evading tax (yet!)

No, nobody said he was, the company that own his house are neither, but using the commonly held laws of the court of public opinion they are avoiding tax and I would be sure that he knew the money was going out the country.

If he did not know who he was paying 79 grand a year to then that is another reason he should keep his trap shut on all matters financial.

[minestrone]

Anyways, I have been working closely with 2 loan brokers in recent weeks, 70% of all loan money around at the moment originates from the RBS

That is a lot of cars they help people buy to get them to work and back.

[d000hg]

And corporations don't pay tax - only people do.

Except for corporation tax of course.

[GreyWolf]

Russell Edward Brand is director of three companies. No doubt there are lots of very important reasons why he works through limited companies (just like for us contractors) but I suspect there are a few incidental tax advantages to doing so. However, seeing as he is so keen on state-enforced wealth distribution I am sure he writes a cheque to the tax man for the difference between what he actually pays and what he would pay if he was PAYE like Mr Ordinary. That's what all those good socialists who want to spend my money do, don't they? He needs to put a bit more effort into the redistributing though as his companies appear to be worth millions. Add his personal wealth and the trust-owned assets in the US and it starts to be serious money.

Oddly, his data of birth as a director (1977) differs from his date of birth on Wikipedia (4 June 1975). It's definitely the correct director because his dear old Ma was once a co-director of one of the companies - PABLO DIABLO'S LEGITIMATE BUSINESS FIRM LIMITED. I wonder why he had a family member as co-director?

(A bit more surfing reveals several media stories linking him to these companies so, yes, it is one and the same Mr Brand).

Finding that lot out took all of two minutes on the web so he either thinks the general public is very stupid or he is so stupid himself that he thinks the general public can't find these things. No tax evasion but plenty of tax avoidance going on. Nothing wrong with that but I do wish people like Russell Brand wouldn't conflate the two.

With his verbosity, socialist leanings and love of vicarious violence he seems to be quite the Poundshop Goebbels.

[d000hg]

Wikipedia showing the wrong date is hardly his fault now, is it?

There is no automatic "what you would've paid on PAYE" calculation in all but the simplest cases.
He probably employs staff for instance and who knows what else given the wide range of stuff he does.
It's not tax avoidance to legitimately run a Ltd company if you have businessy things going on and this leads to paying less tax. It's avoidance to move your affairs to run through a Ltd _because_ it will allow you to pay less tax. I have no trouble imagining he fits into the former category far more convincingly than most contractors.

You can easily find the details of his companies' filed accounts so why don't you do that and report back?
You should probably also try to determine what he gives to charity or other causes on top of tax paid, in terms of wealth distribution.