Tax avoiders should be named and shamed

[doodab]

Tax avoidance schemes have to be explicitly approved before people can start using them.

Would that be like writing them down and having parliament vote them into law?

[d000hg]

I don't think I'm a tax avoider, I simply fill out my accounts in what seems the most logical way. Paying myself a £40k salary would be deliberately opting to pay more tax than the 'proper' amount, it is unnatural.

[SueEllen]

I don't think I'm a tax avoider, I simply fill out my accounts in what seems the most logical way. Paying myself a £40k salary would be deliberately opting to pay more tax than the 'proper' amount, it is unnatural.

Do you run a limited company and claim expenses?

Do you have an ISA?

Do you or have you ever had a pension?

[doodab]

Tax avoidance is the legal usage of the tax regime to one's own advantage, to reduce the amount of tax that is payable by means that are within the law.

Do their researchers not have access to google like the rest of us?

[KentPhilip]

Presumably that includes anyone claiming any sort of benefit such as income support, child tax credits, free prescriptions, etc?

Yes

And we should also publish a list of anyone receiving NHS treatment. After all they're taking it from public money.

Good point. Yes to that too.
But the nature of the treatment should be kept confidential (patient confidentiality). Just the rough cost of it per person should be published each year.

That way people can have some personal accountability to those who pay the bills - their peers.

[Zippy]

Yes



Good point. Yes to that too.
But the nature of the treatment should be kept confidential (patient confidentiality). Just the rough cost of it per person should be published each year.

That way people can have some personal accountability to those who pay the bills - their peers.

Ooh yes - good idea. Then, when the Wail goes off on one of its 'sponger' rants they can tell us how much Mr Dolescum's heart bypass operation is worth. Assuming Mr Dolescum doesn't own a house, obviously.

[xoggoth]

Yeh d00000000gh. Don't defend MPs please.

Can't recall the instances offhand but anyone who has ever got sick of accountants' cockups and made an effort to understand tax law to the extent that they have actually gone through acts of parliament relating to the issue will be familair with the various clauses making exception for members of her majesty;s government.

Just the fact that such clauses even exist at all is proof of the corruption that exists.

[Wanderer]

Facts please. Not scurrilous newspaper stories or references back to the expenses scandal that WAS going on, but facts based on current data. Did they make all MP finances transparent, or did I imagine that?

This is "General", right? I didn't think I needed a reference.

No they are not transparent but you can look at The Register of Member's Interests and see that most MPs are business people just like us. It's no stretch of the imagination to think that many of them are quite legally structuring their tax affairs in such a way that they pay less tax.

If they were to change the law to counter this "immoral" tax avoidance then a good number of MPs and their friends in business could also be hit very hard.

[VectraMan]

I don't think I'm a tax avoider, I simply fill out my accounts in what seems the most logical way. Paying myself a £40k salary would be deliberately opting to pay more tax than the 'proper' amount, it is unnatural.

For most my time as a contractor I followed the accountant's advice to pay minimum wage (i.e. ~12K) salary, whereas I could have paid the bare minimum ~5K ish and paid practically no tax at all. So I'm not a tax avoider; I'm a tax volunteer. I should be named and praised.

[eek]

I should be named and laughed at.

FTFY I know it doesn't help