BN66; what the hell is going on over there?

[Churchill]

Indeed, which is what I proposed should happen! Those numbers were half way there - just indication that scheme was notified about.

Personally I think tax system should be simpler with regressive scale - 30% max, after certain level going down, ie: >£1 mln pay less %-tage.

This will close avoidance/evasion.

Until it applies to everyone people who try to gain unfair advantage over honest taxpayers should not expect to get away with it.

Have a word with Philip Green.

[AtW]

Agreed that Human Rights law is a stupid angle to take. However, you seem to believe that people should get permission from the government for their actions. I do not believe that. I believe the government gains permission from the people for it’s actions. If you were to ask the people to give the government permission to decide at some point in the future that what they did yesterday will be illegal and they must then be punished for what they did before it was illegal, the people would not grant that permission. I hope.

There is one thing about Govt - don't fk about with tax: big guys can get away with it because they actually have real big businesses that they can shift about, and they sleep well because in any case they've got plenty of money to afford fines. HMRC is cracking hard on this because small guys thought they can also do it, if this was allowed to continue it would ruin the whole system - just like that £10000 tax free for Ltd that brown did and registrations of companies went up big time!

[Mich the Tester]

if this was allowed to continue it would ruin the whole system -

The whole system IS ruined. It was ruined by profligate spending on wasteful projects and illegal wars.

[TheFaQQer]

Have a word with Philip Green.

Lord Ashcroft / Zac Goldsmith

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Agreed that Human Rights law is a stupid angle to take. However, you seem to believe that people should get permission from the government for their actions. I do not believe that. I believe the government gains permission from the people for it’s actions.

Agree wholeheartedly. That is important. Of the essence. Integral to our constitution and way of life.

The government does not allow when it sees fit; it forbids when it must. And then only with the approval of the people, in order to execute the duties delegated to it by them.

I wonder if AtW means get permission from HMRC in the same way as you can get HMRC to review your contract and give an opinion on whether it is subject to IR35? ..... the snag being their tendency always to say Yes, it is.

[AtW]

Have a word with Philip Green.

He runs businesses that are responsible for employing and paying proper tax many thousands of people. How many people were employed by businesses run by those people affected by the scheme apart from themselves and their spouses?

So Peter Green, despite his offshore status, is responsible for bringing in a lot of dosh to the Revenue, consequently he is not the enemy here. Now if he used the same offshore scheme to dodge tax paid to his staff, then HMRC would be on him very quickly and rightfully so.

[Churchill]

He runs businesses that are responsible for employing and paying proper tax many thousands of people. How many people were employed by businesses run by those people affected by the scheme apart from themselves and their spouses?

So Peter Green, despite his offshore status, is responsible for bringing in a lot of dosh to the Revenue, consequently he is not the enemy here. Now if he used the same offshore scheme to dodge tax paid to his staff, then HMRC would be on him very quickly and rightfully so.

You're an arse!

[AtW]

You're an arse!

Are you going to argue that Peter Green isn't responsible for running businesses that employ people who pay tax? The shop chain he bought was going bust, he turned it around and paid himself like £1 bln dividends - well earned too.

[Churchill]

Are you going to argue that Peter Green isn't responsible for running businesses that employ people who pay tax? The shop chain he bought was going bust, he turned it around and paid himself like £1 bln dividends - well earned too.

The tax that his employees pay is nothing to do with the amount of tax that Philip Green should pay.

You're an arse!

[AtW]

The tax that his employees pay is nothing to do with the amount of tax that Philip Green should pay.

His involvement saved jobs and created movements of money - suppliers of his shop got paid etc, he runs a BIG business that overall results in tax paid.

He himself is not employee in disguise - he actually legitimately lives offshore and can run that business over the phone.

This is completely different situation to this offshore scheme.