Fairness

[doodab]

And for every job that Amazon "creates", it probably destroys at least another job from companies that can't compete - mostly companies that are paying full UK corporation tax.

This is a good point. An awful lot of high street retailers have disappeared lately, and no doubt online competition has been partially responsible for that.

[VectraMan]

And for every job that Amazon "creates", it probably destroys at least another job from companies that can't compete - mostly companies that are paying full UK corporation tax.

Most job "creation" is really just moving a job from one place to another.

Amazon, famously, has hardly ever made any profit. They constantly reinvest everything they're making into growing the business, whereas a company that's paying "full UK corporation tax"* is clearly more focussed on making a profit for its shareholders, and perhaps that's why it's struggling to compete. Don't socialists usually complain about companies making profit over providing job security for the workers?

*Obivously I'm assuming from the context you mean "making a profit", because Amazon clearly also pays full UK corporation tax, and for that matter, a company that's struggling to compete probably isn't making a profit and therefore pays no UK corporation tax.

[adubya]

, and for that matter, a company that's struggling to compete probably isn't making a profit and therefore pays no UK corporation tax.

Like Starbucks ?

[SantaClaus]

Costa Coffee pays corp tax in UK, Whitbread also does so and it's perfectly fine if such companies do whatever it takes to make sure their competitors from abroad compete fairly.

You mean, like politicising business?

BTW, hardly anything is fair in business. The only fair offshoot is people get employed and they themselves contribute to the tax take.

I would love to see what shares you own ATW, because I can guarantee they wont all be "fair" tax payers. And no doubt you will be profiting from the dividends of these naughty companies, which makes you a "tax avoider" too.

[doodab]

I turned down a gig I didn't want, which means I won't make any money and I won't pay any tax on it. Should I be arrested?

[formant]

This is a good point. An awful lot of high street retailers have disappeared lately, and no doubt online competition has been partially responsible for that.

To be honest, even if Amazon moved all their distribution centres out of the UK it would hardly harm their market share and sales here. Online retail and logistics don't need that much of a UK base to keep profitable. Meaning they'd continue to harm the sales of UK high street retailers, continue to take away high street jobs, but wouldn't be creating any in exchange.

I think the responsibility for losing UK high street jobs lies a lot more with retailers that don't adapt to a changing market. It's a bit of a cop-out to blame external factors - particularly if many other high street retailers continue to do just fine.

[adubya]

And no doubt you will be profiting from the dividends of these naughty companies, which makes you a "tax avoider" too.

[AtW]

I would love to see what shares you own ATW, because I can guarantee they wont all be "fair" tax payers. And no doubt you will be profiting from the dividends of these naughty companies, which makes you a "tax avoider" too.

I do get dividends and I pay required level of tax on them, but I don't use the dodge of paying myself minimum salary and taking everything else as dividends - the company I founded has now around 10 people and we have income from a very diverse set of customers around the world. It's a bona fide enterprise that I bet pays more tax (corp/PAYE/rates/other) than you do.

There was time (many years) when I had 0 salary, but that was because there was 0 income and I had no dividends.

Not sure what you mean regarding my shares not being "fair tax payers", but I own them directly without involving offshore structures, so I expect to pay CGT on them in the event of disposal (has not happened yet), I will of course claim entrepreneurs relief on those if it's still present (Labour fooked me over with changed CGT to benefit City spekulants), that's not a tax dodge but the relief explicitly designed for that purpose.

[AtW]

a company that's paying "full UK corporation tax"* is clearly more focussed on making a profit for its shareholders, and perhaps that's why it's struggling to compete.

It's the job of the directors of the company to turn profits that is paid to shareholders, it's their LEGAL OBLIGATON.

*Obivously I'm assuming from the context you mean "making a profit", because Amazon clearly also pays full UK corporation tax, and for that matter, a company that's struggling to compete probably isn't making a profit and therefore pays no UK corporation tax.

Amazon does not pay (effectively) UK corp tax because it takes profits out of country - it also was dodging VAT on a grand scale by shipping from offshore locations.

[minestrone]

We are all using tax laws to our advantage, HRMC use tax to their advantage, there is a happy medium. They get a serious wodge from me to pay for the workless and a few oversea military adventures. I'm not going to feel guilty in anyway for paying for a teacher and a soldiers salary each year with my tax.