Reply to: Cameron hails breakthrough tax deal in Europe

[AtW]

they see tax as a punishment for peope who are richer than themselves

Do you feel being punished?

[DodgyAgent]

Yes we do. We hear it all the ******* time.

Not from lefties we don't. Nor will lefties criticise public services. This is because they see tax as a punishment for peope who are richer than themselves and they feel that patronising public services (dont attack state schools it will undermine their morale - but I would not send my own kids to one!) gives themselves moral virtue.

[doodab]

We never hear anyone challenging how the tax is spent

Yes we do. We hear it all the ******* time.

[AtW]

So in short, people like AtW who applaud the government for trying to winkle more money out of tax avoiders and large corporations (who will only pass it on to consumers), are muppets.

This reminds me - where is Beaker?

[OwlHoot]

And thereby provide books, computers and other apparatus that can be used by people to do productive and useful things. Give it to the government and they'll provide a few more speed bumps and lesbian outreach officers and still run up a debt.

Absolutely! When will people get the message - "A skint Government is a healthy government!"

and that isn't a whimsical saying meant to be comical, but the underlying reason for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Heaven preserve us from a Government flush with cash, like the Saudis today or English sovereigns like Henry VIII and William the Conqueror in the past.

So in short, people like AtW who applaud the government for trying to winkle more money out of tax avoiders and large corporations (who will only pass it on to consumers), are muppets.

[AtW]

No, there is one reason; they spend what they think they're going to get instead of what they have.

No, the real reason is that they suffer from severe deficiency in numeracy... or honesty!

[Mich the Tester]

Politicians have to borrow because there are not enough tax revenues.

There are two main reasons to this:

1) they spend too much to buy votes

2) they don't collect full amount of tax due, especially from very large corporations

No, there is one reason; they spend what they think they're going to get instead of what they have.

[AtW]

Still preferable to politicians running up debts that I'll have to repay for the rest of my working life.

Politicians have to borrow because there are not enough tax revenues.

There are two main reasons to this:

1) they spend too much to buy votes

2) they don't collect full amount of tax due, especially from very large corporations

[Mich the Tester]

Err, no - they keep them as big cash reserves mostly - especially Apple.

Still preferable to politicians running up debts that I'll have to repay for the rest of my working life. What working life? Do I expect a pension? Hmm? Nurse? Bring me my reality pills!

[AtW]

At least if Google and Amazon keep it the money will be put to good use.

Err, no - they keep them as big cash reserves mostly - especially Apple.

So the money don't work for those companies other than giving very small interest on them.

Talking of which - what's the current interest level paid by banks on 100 bln dollars?

[Bunk]

Indeed.

Ever seen the film Looper?

Perhaps he'd like to go back to 1994 and have a word with himself.

I thought you were going to say he was using time travel to dodge tax. Fair play to him if he managed that.

[Mich the Tester]

Can't say the same about Apple who just stock pile cash

We had this discussion the other day about Amazon - they don't avoid tax by offshoring money. Instead they spend all their profit on under cutting the competition leaving them with zero actual profit and so no tax liability

And thereby provide books, computers and other apparatus that can be used by people to do productive and useful things. Give it to the government and they'll provide a few more speed bumps and lesbian outreach officers and still run up a debt.

[Spacecadet]

At least if Google and Amazon keep it the money will be put to good use. We never hear anyone challenging how the tax is spent, all we hear are howls of envy inspired entitlement.

Can't say the same about Apple who just stock pile cash

We had this discussion the other day about Amazon - they don't avoid tax by offshoring money. Instead they spend all their profit on under cutting the competition leaving them with zero actual profit and so no tax liability

[DodgyAgent]

It wouldn't make one iota of difference to Britain's finances if Google or Amazon paid more tax, as politicians would still spend more than the government recieves in revenues; the UK would still be deep in the poo. That's why I'm inclined to sympathise with tax evaders and tax avoiders; it doesn't matter how much tax you pay, the politicians and civil servants will never have enough of it.

At least if Google and Amazon keep it the money will be put to good use. We never hear anyone challenging how the tax is spent, all we hear are howls of envy inspired entitlement.

[Mich the Tester]

I am waiting for price drop to buy it from tax dodging Amazon

Just rent it from tax dodging Google instead

It wouldn't make one iota of difference to Britain's finances if Google or Amazon paid more tax, as politicians would still spend more than the government recieves in revenues; the UK would still be deep in the poo. That's why I'm inclined to sympathise with tax evaders and tax avoiders; it doesn't matter how much tax you pay, the politicians and civil servants will never have enough of it.