Reply to: Tax avoiders are rich bar stewards who should not be allowed to vote....

[vetran]

I didn't actually proffer an opinion. Image rights via ltd for sportsmen seems sensible to me, if they were an employee however the employer normally owns such things as they would see them as part of the service. Because of their value however they have negotiated a better deal.

The Odious Newt however did display an astounding hypocrisy and deserves everything he gets.

[SimonMac]

I can understand how he works for a variety of employers and there is no control etc but how does this system work for others like BBC presenters and footballers? They seem to work mainly for a single employer and do exactly as Mr Ferguson and other managers dictate and are often fined "2weeks wages"?
Surely these are disguised employees and the tax aboidance schemes used by Rangers amongst others to avoid tax should be declared inappropriate for such people.

With sports stars the main salary is subject to PAYE etc, but image rights and sponsorships etc will go through the LtdCo

[Doggy Styles]

AIUI - for their football playing. For personal appearances & merchandise its likely to be Ltd.

They have many different clients for that income. They could never be accused of being disguised employees of a village fete one day and of a sponsor's lunch the next. IR35 doesn't apply.

[vetran]

As I understand it most footballers aren't disguised employees. They are PAYE employees on a fixed-term contract, in which case IR35 (for instance) would not apply.

AIUI - for their football playing. For personal appearances & merchandise its likely to be Ltd.

Ken unfortunately has form for lying where it is convenient personally. If he hadn't said anything about tax avoiding then it would have hardly caused a ripple.

Anyway who wants to listen to the Newt worrier talk?

[Doggy Styles]

I can understand how he works for a variety of employers and there is no control etc but how does this system work for others like BBC presenters and footballers? They seem to work mainly for a single employer and do exactly as Mr Ferguson and other managers dictate and are often fined "2weeks wages"?
Surely these are disguised employees and the tax aboidance schemes used by Rangers amongst others to avoid tax should be declared inappropriate for such people.

As I understand it most footballers aren't disguised employees. They are PAYE employees on a fixed-term contract, in which case IR35 (for instance) would not apply.

[AtW]

Maybe you should stop whinging and get some bloody work done!

WHS

[Churchill]

Perhaps Labour party should kick out any party member who has combined wealth over £100k or being a director/shareholder.

Maybe you should stop whinging and get some bloody work done!

[AtW]

Perhaps Labour party should kick out any party member who has combined wealth over £100k or being a director/shareholder.

[centurian]

So we spread it over the three years

WatwS

Again, perfectly legal - but it is something that an employee or a temp would not be able to do. If your PAYE earnings drop from higher rate to standard rate from one year to the next, you can't claim a refund of 40% tax paid.

This is blant wholesale tax avoidance. Fine if you want to do it, but given his past comments on tax avoiders

[AtW]

Oh, this is truly priceless.

Here is a transcript of Andrew Gilligham speaking to him on the phone

Ken Livingstone tax avoidance: the transcript – Telegraph Blogs

Stuff like this could easily cost him the election.

"Q: But the payment comes into the company, not to you. You’re not paid, the company is paid. Your clients pay the company.

A: Yeah, but then what you get is that we had a big influx of money in the year after I left [the mayoralty] because there were a load of people outstanding wanting me to go and advise them in various parts of the world, and then the money tailed off. So we spread it over the three years."

[centurian]

Oh, this is truly priceless.

Here is a transcript of Andrew Gilligham speaking to him on the phone

Ken Livingstone tax avoidance: the transcript – Telegraph Blogs

Stuff like this could easily cost him the election.

[AtW]

Reasonable appropriate arrangement for his case - 50/50 split with wife seems obvious also, but he is a hypocrite if indeed attacked such arrangements in the past.

What I am suprised is that somebody would pay him lots of money to hear him talking.

[neil987]

I can understand how he works for a variety of employers and there is no control etc but how does this system work for others like BBC presenters and footballers? They seem to work mainly for a single employer and do exactly as Mr Ferguson and other managers dictate and are often fined "2weeks wages"?
Surely these are disguised employees and the tax aboidance schemes used by Rangers amongst others to avoid tax should be declared inappropriate for such people.

[Doggy Styles]

Does that matter? Even though he can't send a substitute, he's clearly contracting services to lots of clients on an interim basis who have no control over him or his working practises whatsoever.

I would have thought this was stone cold outside of IR35 and an entirely appropriate use of a limited company.

Indeed, he could never be accused of being a disguised employee for several companies at once.

[doodab]

One has to wonder if after dinner speaking could be conducted any other way? If not, then it's unlikely the politicos will want to crack down too hard and jeapordise their own post office gravy train.