Pay your fair share of tax - everyone

[d000hg]

Yes, there was media coverage about Vodafone but the average guy on the street can't really understand that, but they can understand their neighbour's brand new BMW.

They can understand "that big corporation isn't paying tax" just as well as "that guy isn't paying much tax".

Tackling individuals is probably easier than tackling large companies so it only makes sense a government would target the easy sources of income first... who wouldn't.

[Robinho]

Agree that reducing taxes and red tape is necessary, but how do you square the 'free market' in Hong Kong with the fact that every square inch of land in HK is owned by the government? Oh, and the metros/trains are still majority government owned and most of the hospitals and schools are government run.

I'm actually a geolibetarian if you really get down to it, not an anarchist, so i'm fine with the government owning land.

Geolibertarianism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hong Kong is one of the freest markets going, though i would privatise healthcare and have a school voucher system.

[escapeUK]

Is it just me or has this has got chuff all to do with tax fairness and more to do with appeasing a baying public and media angry that the guy up the street is paying a lower % of tax than them?

Yes, there was media coverage about Vodafone but the average guy on the street can't really understand that, but they can understand their neighbour's brand new BMW.

Yes, and the anger should really be focussed on why they have to pay so much tax. Im sure everyone (even me) agree that its best to live in a society where we have roads, hospitals and a benefit safety net. But when an everyday person is working half their time to pay for these, non jobs, massive waste, to give money away in charity and to keep people alive those who cant be bothered, then enough is enough.

[Gibbon]

I was naming institutions, not places. Oh and add the RAF to that list too. Thanks for the reminder.

Yeah, since I left it's true, private Pile.

[Mich the Tester]

I'm actually a geolibetarian if you really get down to it, not an anarchist, so i'm fine with the government owning land.

Geolibertarianism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hong Kong is one of the freest markets going, though i would privatise healthcare and have a school voucher system.

If their healthcare and education is working to their satisfaction, why would you change it?

[Mich the Tester]

That was one of the bright ideas that HMRC came up with some time ago.

It got kicked into touch.

Not far enough. If you've got your back to the wall behind your own 22 metre line, boot it at least over the stand and into the carpark, preferably into a fast flowing river.

[escapeUK]

That was one of the bright ideas that HMRC came up with some time ago.

It got kicked into touch.

Strange, I thought they were still moving towards this. From April next year real time data must be submitted to HMRC every time a payroll is done. Its obvious where they are going with this.

[Robinho]

If their healthcare and education is working to their satisfaction, why would you change it?

Because i believe healthcare is a commodity and not a right and that theft is immoral.

I also believe it could be more efficiently ran via the private sector like basically everything else is.

[sasguru]

Because i believe healthcare is a commodity and not a right and that theft is immoral.

I also believe it could be more efficiently ran via the private sector like basically everything else is.

I'm afraid there is plenty of evidence that this is not the case:

Government-Run Healthcare is More Efficient Than Private Healthcare | Mother Jones

Also if you look at healthcare costs as a % of GDP for the US's more privatised system and compare this with the % of GDP for the major European countries who are more public funded, the European countries are far more efficient, for a similar or better outcome e.g. life expectancy is higher in Europe than the US.

But hey, why look at data when an unthinking prejudice will do, eh?

[Robinho]

I'm well aware of the US system's costs. It's barely free market any more though.

Additionally it's the source of the bulk of research so it effectively subsidises the world's healthcare system.