Some things to think about for next week

[Troll]

Excellent summary to be read out at the gallows

But IIRC

5: Clarke had only just taken up the post and was made a scapegoat for previous incumbents

8: Millennium Dome was started under Conservatives

[HairyArsedBloke]

The Tories made flip all fuss about any of the above, agreed with much of it and gave Bl*ir a standing ovation when he scarpered.

I dispise Cameron for that. Not that I have a vote, but I could never vote Conservative because of it.

He should have been banging his fist on the opposition dispatch box and shouted to B'Liar - "We will see you, and the rest of you fracker, hang for what you have done to this country"

Revolution!

Bloodshed!

Now you're talking.

[Churchill]

Hey you've had a bunch of coonts in power for a few years, how are you going to affect what colour rosette the next bunch of coonts will be wearing.

Revolution!

Bloodshed!

[threaded]

Hey you've had a bunch of coonts in power for a few years, how are you going to affect what colour rosette the next bunch of coonts will be wearing.

[TimberWolf]

Other things to remember next week

The Tories made flip all fuss about any of the above, agreed with much of it and gave Bl*ir a standing ovation when he scarpered.

[OwlHoot]

Crikey, DimPrawn, you have been busy.

Kudos for assembling all that, which will be sobering reading for the Labour shills here, like Tarquer the Utter (although of course they won't bother reading any of it).

[DimPrawn]

IR35 - New Labour's weapon against the freelancer and small company

1999 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
IR35 measures announced. Mar 1999 Initial HMRC IR35 press release announcing the measures to counter tax avoidance in the area of personal service provision with the intention of them taking effect from April 2000.
PCG formed. May 1999 PCG formed to combat the IR35 proposals.
Modified IR35 measures accounced. Sep 1999 Second press release detailing a modified approach based on consultations:

* onus on the service companies to follow rules;
* service companies to collect the tax rather than the clients.
* Existing tests for self employment to be used.
* Flat rat of 5% allowed for non Schedule E expenses.

Passed in Commons.


Nov 1999
After peers backed down, the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill (which contained IR35) passed in the house of Lords.
2000 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
Revenue publishes IR35 guidance. Feb 2000 HMRC publishes FAQs for IR35.
IR35 becomes law. Apr 2000 Finance Act published – schedule 12 being specific to IR35.
2001 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
Judicial Review Mar - Apr 2001 PCG took HMRC to a Judicial Review.

High Court dismissed the PCG and IR35 remained law.
First IR35 case loses. Aug 2001 Battersby versus Campbell.

First case to go before Special Commissioners is lost.
Second IR35 case loses. Dec 2001 F S Consulting Limited vs McCaul.

Second case to go before Special Commissioners is lost.
Judicial Review - Appeal Dec 2001 Judges dismiss appeal by PCG.
2002 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
PCG focuses on case law Jan 2002 PCG drops legal fight with HMRC to focus on case law.
First IR35 case won. Oct 2002 Lime IT vs Justin

First case to be won at the Special Commissioners.
2003 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
IR35 case lost at High Court Mar 2003 Synaptek vs Young.
2004 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
IR35 case lost Jan 2004 Usetech vs Young.
2005 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
Tories Propose Abolishment. Jan 2005 Tories Propose Abolishment of IR35.
Freelancer Loses Case. Jan 2005 Freelancer Loses IR35 Case..

Netherlane Limited loses at the Special Commissioners.
PCG wins freelancer case as special commissioners. May 2005 PCG wins case for Mike Ansell
2006 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
Court of Appeal status ruling on employment status. Mar 2006 Cable and Wireless v Muscat

Concerns that contractors could start to claim employment rights.

PCG Analysis of Cable and Wireless v Muscat Judgement

Fears over Muscat bite
2007 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
Island Consultants Ltd lose IR35 case to Revenue. Jul 2007 Island Consultants lose IR35 Case

Island Consultants Ltd V Revenue & Customs

No IR35 Precedent Set, Experts Say

Conservative John Redwood says Tories will "Turn back the clock on IR35 and MSC's" Aug 2007 Redwood: "We will Turn Back the Clock Entirely on IR35 and MSC"

2008 - IR35 History
Event Date Detail
Datagate Services Ltd wins case. Jan 2008 Lawspeed IR35 Win Shows Contractors Can Prove Status

MKM Computing Ltd loses case at special commissioners. Jan 2008 See this article - last paragraph

MKM Computing Ltd - Special Commissioners Decision

Dragonfly Consulting Ltd loses £99,000 in IR35 case.



Dragonfly subsequently loses appeal. Jan 2008




Sep 2008 Contractor Loses £99,000 in IR35 Case for Being 'Part and Parcel'

Dragonfly Consulting Ltd - Special Commissioners Decision

Crucial Dragonfly Consulting IR35 appeal has been lost

Dragonfly verdict - “no massive additional exposure to IR35 risk”

First Word Software Ltd wins IR35 Case at Special Commissioners Jan 2008 Accountax Win IR35 Case For Contractor - First Word Software Ltd

First Word Software Ltd - Special Commissioners Decision

Contractor beats HMRC in IR35 case - Larkstar Data Feb 2008

Feb 2009 Contractor beats HMRC in IR35 case - Larkstar Data

HMRC wins narrow victory over Larkstar Data IR35 case in the High Court

Contractor loses IR35 appeal - Alternative Book Company Ltd Jun 2008 Contractor loses IR35 appeal - substitution clause viewed as “window dressing”

2009 - IR35 History
Official figures showing that IR35 only brings in about £1.5 million each year May 2009 PCG’s revelation of IR35’s £1.5m per year tax take is (sadly) not the full story

Tilson ruling: Contractors inside IR35 and employment rights July 2009 Contractors inside IR35 may be able to claim employment rights after landmark ruling

Stringer v HMRC: Clients should now be more supportive on contractors IR35 status Aug 2009 Contractors holiday pay ruling should make clients more supportive on IR35 status

[HairyArsedBloke]

The first act by Cameron if he gets to be PM must be to detain every former cabinet minister.

The second act should be to announce when the public executions should be.

[DimPrawn]

Civil Liberties

Protest and assembly

- Protests are banned within one kilometre of Parliament Square without police permission (penalty: 51 weeks in jail and/or a £2,500 fine).

- Groups may be dispersed under antisocial-behaviour laws.

- Groups may be dispersed within designated areas under the terror laws.

- The new offence under SOCPA of trespass within a designated site (no justification for designation is required).


Communications

- Under the Regulation of Investigative Powers Act, government agencies may intercept email, internet connections and standard mail without seeking a court's permission (the latest figure is 500,000 secret interceptions a year).

- Since summer 2007, the government and some 700 agencies have had access to all landline and mobile-phone records. There was no primary legislation and no debate in parliament.


Databases

- Without primary legislation, police introduced a national network of all ANPR cameras. The travel data may be stored for two years.

- The National Identity Register will store details of every verification made by an ID-card holder and give access to government agencies without the knowledge or consent of the private citizen.

- ID-card enrolment requires every citizen to offer up 49 piece of personal information to the national database, with heavy and repeated fines for non-compliance.

- All children details are to be stored on a central database, with access granted to a wide range of public bodies.

- The Children's Common Assessment Framework database stores all details of children with problems, indefinitely.

- The Home Office has announced that it wishes to take 19 pieces of information, including mobile-phone and credit-card numbers, from everyone travelling abroad.


Free Expression

- Public-order laws have been used to curtail free expression. A man wearing the slogan "Bollocks to Blair" on his T-shirt was told to remove it by police.

- The Race and Religious Hatred Act (2006) bans incitement of hatred on religious grounds.

- Justice Minister Jack Straw proposes new laws which would ban the incitement of hatred towards the disabled and on the grounds of a person's sexual orientation

- Terror laws are used to ban freedom of expression in designated areas. Walter Wolfgang was removed from the Labour party conference for heckling Jack Straw. People have been searched simply for wearing slogans on their T-shirts or for carrying banners. A man was detained while collecting signatures against the ID card

- The Protection from Harassment Act (1997) bans the repetition of an act. People prosecuted for repeated protest by email.

- Terror laws ban the glorification of terrorism, which has resulted in the prosecution of a young woman for writing poetry.


The Courts

- ASBO legislation introduces hearsay evidence, which may result in a person being sent to jail.

- The Criminal Justice Act (2003) allows the prosecution to make an application to be heard without a jury where there is a danger of jury tampering. This will include fraud trials.

- The admissibility of evidence concerning a person's bad character, previous convictions and acquittals.

- The Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) gives the state powers to confiscate assets in circumstances where it does not have enough evidence for prosecution.

-Special Immigration Appeals Court hearings are held in secret. Those terror suspects whose cases come before the court are not allowed to know the evidence against them or to be represented by a lawyer of their own choice.

- The Courts and Tribunals Enforcement Act abandons the tradition of an Englishman's home being his castle, which since 1604 has made breaking into a home by bailiffs illegal.


Terror Laws

- Terror laws have been used to stop and search ordinary citizens. The current rate is 50,000 per annum.

- A maximum of 28 days without charge is allowed under terror legislation. The government has announced plans to increase this to 42 days.

- Control orders, effectively indefinite house arrest, were introduced after the Belmarsh decision.

[Moscow Mule]

stealthy taxes

Have you got a source for that? I'l post it on my anti-broon twatter account.

[contractor79]

I'm glad you mentioned Blair. It's easy to forget that despite Brown's failings, it is not completely fair to crucify him alone for the last 13 years, Blair jumped ship when he thought things would get bad and people need to remember that.

[DimPrawn]

Tax and spend

July 1997
01 • Mortgage Interest Tax Relief At Source (MIRAS) reduced from 15% to 10%
02 • Dividend Tax Credits for pension schemes abolished
03 • Income tax relief on health insurance abolished
04 • Insurance Premium Tax extended to some health insurance
05 • Road Fuel Tax escalator increased to 6%
06 • Vehicle Excise Duty increased
07 • Tobacco duty escalator increased to 5%
08 • Stamp Duty raised to 2%
09 • Carry back of Corporation Tax losses limited to 1 year
10 • Windfall tax on utilities


March 1998
11 • Tax relief for the married couple's allowance (MCA) cut to 10%
12 • Top rate of Insurance Premium Tax extended to travel insurance
13 • Exceptional increase in tobacco and alcohol duties
14 • Duties on casinos and gaming machines raised
15 • Road Fuel Tax escalator increase brought forward
16 • Tax on company cars increased
17 • Tax relief on foreign earnings abolished
18 • Tax concessions for certain professions abolished
19 • Capital gains tax imposed on certain non-residents
20 • Restriction of Capital Gains Tax relief on reinvestment
21 • Corporation tax payments on account brought forward
22 • Stamp duty increased again
23 • Certain hydrocarbon duties increased
24 • Additional diesel duties introduced
25 • Landfill Tax increased
26 • Double tax credits on certain dividends restricted

March 1999
27 • National Insurance Contributions earning limit raised
28 • NI Contributions for self-employed increased
29 • Tax relief of Married Couple's Allowance abolished
30 • MIRAS abolished
31 • Self-employed contractors to pay NI and income tax as if employees
32 • Company car business mileage discount limited
33 • Double escalator on tobacco duties
34 • Insurance Premium Tax increased to 5%
35 • Vocational training relief abolished
36 • Employer NI Contribution base broadened to include all benefits in kind
37 • VAT on some banking services increased
38 • Tax on reverse premiums paid to tenants by landlords introduced
39 • Duty on domestic fuel oils up
40 • Vehicle Excise Duty for lorries increased
41 • Landfill tax escalator introduced
42 • Stamp Duty rates raised again to 2.5/3.5%

March 2000
43 • Tobacco duties increased above inflation
44 • Stamp duty raised for 4th time, scope of duty extended
45 • Extra taxation of life assurance companies
46 • Rules on tax havens tightened up
47 • Company car taxes raised

2001
The Chancellor gives the exhausted nation a year off – no new stealth taxes!

April 2002
48 • Personal tax allowances frozen
49 • National Insurance threshold frozen
50 • NI Contributions for employers raised
51 • NI Contributions for employees raised [Class 1 up 1%]
52 • NI Contributions for self-employed raised
53 • North Sea taxation increased
54 • Duty on some alcoholic drinks raised
55 • Stamp duty thresholds frozen
56 • Tax relief on investment in film industy restricted
57 • Rules on corporate debt tightened
58 • Nil-rate threshold for inheritance tax raised by less than the rate of inflation

April 2003
59 • VAT imposed on electronically supplied services
60 • Domestic staff on £89/week to pay NI & income tax, employers to pay NI
61 • Betting duty increases
62 • Tax on red diesel and fuel oil increased
63 • Anti-tax haven rules tightened to cover more UK firms with Irish subsidiaries
64 • Vehicle excise duty raised
65 • Personal tax allowances frozen again

July, 2003
66 • £35 added to all fines and £3 added to the cost of a home insurance policy

September, 2003
67 • Price of petrol raised 7p per gallon (with the VAT)

October, 2003
68 • Up to 8 times increase in the stamp duty on leases for retail premises
69 • Airport Tax doubled

December, 2003
70 • 40% extra Council Tax on second homes was sneaked in while the Westminster Wonders were breaking up for their hols a whole week before Xmas.
Additional info : It has been pointed out that a number of councils gave an even bigger discount for second homes and the increase for some people can be 80%. Plus the usual 6-18% annual rise, depending on how bloated the council's operations have become.
Exemptions may be granted if the second home owner (1) has to live somewhere because of his/her employment, (2) the dwelling comes with the job, or (3) there are special threat/security reasons involved. All of which excuses apply to 10, Downing Street, the home of a certain Mr. Anthony B. Liar. (Thanks to M.K.)

January, 2004
71 • £60 per day fine for late submission of self-assessment income tax forms
72 • Traffic wardens to receive powers to impose fines for a whole bunch of offences to keep poor people off the roads. The offences will include parking more than 19 inches from the kerb (£100) and dithering by people who are lost over, and who do

[DimPrawn]

1. Iraq. Hundreds of British soldiers killed in conflict over non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Total absense of pre-planning for aftermath leads to state of civil war. Trust in political process totally collapses after truth about WMD and dodgy intelligence finally emerges. Minister primarily responsible: Tony Blair.

2. Foot and mouth. Millions of healthy animals needlessly slaughtered after Government fails to send in Army soon enough for fear of panicking the country ahead of 2001 general election. Minister responsible: Nick Brown took the rap, but this was Blair's call too.

3 Pension fund raid. PM-elect Brown has valiantly defended this move as a means of targeting resources where they were needed most, but some other way should have been found to do this without entirely wrecking the country's private pensions industry. Minister responsible: Gordon Brown.

4. Jo Moore burying bad news. Besides the death of Dr Kelly (which is covered by the generic cock-up heading of Iraq) this did more than anything else to destroy public trust in New Labour. Minister responsible: Stephen Byers for employing Moore, Blair for initially refusing to allow Byers to sack her.

5. Deportation of foreign prisoners. Proof that the Home Office was indeed "not fit for purpose," it was amazing that such a media-obsessed government didn't spot this disaster waiting to happen. Minister responsible: Charles Clarke, with input from Jack Straw and David Blunkett.

6. Railtrack. The creation of Failtrack will go down as possibly the greatest cock-up of the Major Government. Stephen Byers attempted to put things right, but went about it in totally the wrong way and then tried to evade the truth about it when challenged. Minister responsible: Byers.

7. Health overspends. A government that comes into office pledging to "save the NHS" and pumps more than £20bn of additional spending into the service ends up closing hospitals. Minister responsible: Pat Hewitt has got the blame, but most say the rot set in under John Reid.

8. Millennium Dome. I have been criticised for including this folly in a previous list of New Labour policy failures but seriously, this should have been a celebration of British endeavour on a par with the Festival of Britain or the Great Exhibition. Minister responsible: Peter Mandelson, abetted by Blair.

9. North East regional assembly referendum. You could list any number of devolution-related cock-ups from opposing Ken Livingstone to making Alun Michael Welsh First Minister. But holding a referendum you were bound to lose goes down as the silliest. Minister responsible: John Prescott.

10. The 2003 Reshuffle. This was the one that was supposed to create a Ministry of Justice and abolish the Lord Chancellorship together with the Scottish and Welsh Offices. It was all reversed within hours of being announced. Minister responsible: Tony Blair.