What exactly is tax avoidance?

[HairyArsedBloke]

Wait until this gets going.

All your pay is belong to us.

[Platypus]

Every man is entitled if he can to order his affairs so as that the tax attaching under the appropriate Acts is less than it otherwise would be. If he succeeds in ordering them so as to secure this result, then, however unappreciative the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or his fellow taxpayers may be of his ingenuity, he cannot be compelled to pay an increased tax.

Of course you're right.

However, I think that most people see tax avoidance as something that OTHER people do, i.e. Joe Bloggs has a TESSA, an ISA, a PEP, buys 200 fags when visiting a non-EU country and gets tax relief on pension contributions. He is not an avoider. No indeed.

His neighbour owns his own company and pays himself small salary, some dividends. But he has no TESSA or ISA. Now he's a robbing barsteward who isn't paying his "fair share" of tax. Despite the fact that he pays employers and employees national insurance on his £12k salary. Despite the fact that he has no children using the state's education resources. No. This man is an immoral thief!

[doodab]

Wait until this gets going.

All your pay is belong to us.

The reform would mean the end of traditional monthly payslips, because employers would no longer be able to tell workers how much tax they had paid each month.

And neither would anyone else....

[cailin maith]

Of course you're right.

However, I think that most people see tax avoidance as something that OTHER people do, i.e. Joe Bloggs has a TESSA, an ISA, a PEP, buys 200 fags when visiting a non-EU country and gets tax relief on pension contributions. He is not an avoider. No indeed.

His neighbour owns his own company and pays himself small salary, some dividends. But he has no TESSA or ISA. Now he's a robbing barsteward who isn't paying his "fair share" of tax. Despite the fact that he pays employers and employees national insurance on his £12k salary. Despite the fact that he has no children using the state's education resources. No. This man is an immoral thief!

So they (ie Clegg, Cameron and the other numpties) would like you to believe. It's perfectly acceptable for them to avoid CGT on 2nd homes etc but anyone trying to keep their hard earned cash is a target. It's bloody outrageous and makes me really

[CheeseSlice]

This is actually a cunning plan to provoke violent revolution.

The lib dems seem to be saying all kinds of tulip at the moment to stir up public unrest.
I'm currently considering the "burning of Vince Cable" as a response to this:

Vince Cable: Send our school leavers to do apprenticeships in India

[doodab]

The lib dems seem to be saying all kinds of tulip at the moment to stir up public unrest.
I'm currently considering the "burning of Vince Cable" as a response to this:

Vince Cable: Send our school leavers to do apprenticeships in India

TBH I would probably burn the daily mail instead.

Lots of young people go travelling to India, and if they can do that and get paid and trained then why not? It would also help them realise how lucky they are to be UK citizens.

[Mich the Tester]

TBH I would probably burn the daily mail instead.

Lots of young people go travelling to India, and if they can do that and get paid and trained then why not? It would also help them realise how lucky they are to be UK citizens.

Yes, and a trip to New Delhi's Chinese restaurants would help the UK's obese youths lose some weight.

[Fred Bloggs]

Of course you're right.

However, I think that most people see tax avoidance as something that OTHER people do, i.e. Joe Bloggs has a TESSA, an ISA, a PEP, buys 200 fags when visiting a non-EU country and gets tax relief on pension contributions. He is not an avoider. No indeed.

His neighbour owns his own company and pays himself small salary, some dividends. But he has no TESSA or ISA. Now he's a robbing barsteward who isn't paying his "fair share" of tax. Despite the fact that he pays employers and employees national insurance on his £12k salary. Despite the fact that he has no children using the state's education resources. No. This man is an immoral thief!

Sadly, that would be a common enough interpretation of the situation, I believe.

[Zippy]

... as does not buying fags and booze.

Phew! I'm OK then??

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I haven't done anything illegal - I'm curious as to what counts as 'morally indefensible'

Trying to sell taxpayers stuff they already paid for and own (AKA Privatisation)