Reply to: What is tax avoidance?

[Not Losing Any Sleep]

Worth reading

And in that article:

"He had earlier said that even someone who “cuts your hedge for a tenner” should provide an invoice to discourage tax avoidance"

Err, no, that' would be to discourage tax evasion!

Waiting for Godot | Tax Avoidance – Game Over? The Hardman Lecture 2014

[squirrel]

It gets better...

Ed Balls among 12 shadow cabinet members who claimed expenses without receipts - Telegraph

And in that article:

"He had earlier said that even someone who “cuts your hedge for a tenner” should provide an invoice to discourage tax avoidance"

Err, no, that' would be to discourage tax evasion!

[Zero Liability]

It gets better...

Ed Balls among 12 shadow cabinet members who claimed expenses without receipts - Telegraph

[squirrel]

Oops!

'I probably shouldn't be advocating this': Video of a young George Osborne advising voters how to dodge taxes unearthed | Daily Mail Online

Oh dear! I hope this gets the Facebook / Twitter treatment. I'm not usually one for a witch hunt but we can't let this go surely?

I am also somewhat amused (and bemused) by the response to the suggestion of getting receipts for cash jobs. This must be the first time in history that a crime (evasion) is acceptable but a non-crime (avoidance) isn't!

Is the general population of this country really that idiotic to believe all this tosh? Are they all so blinded by jealousy? It seems that way and it saddens me.

[Not Losing Any Sleep]

I think Ed was listening!

Shocking.



The more successful*.



Nice, but it'd be even better if someone with a bit more moral fibre than Margaret Hodge did the grilling... her only issue with HMRC is that they're not proactive enough in extracting more money from the productive in society, without discrimination. Meanwhile, when it comes to her own family's company and its use of "tax efficiency", we get silence and "I know nuffin' about UK company tax law". Sure, Maggie.

'I probably shouldn't be advocating this': Video of a young George Osborne advising voters how to dodge taxes unearthed | Daily Mail Online

[Zero Liability]

Shocking.

There's always votes to be had in bashing the more fortunate.

The more successful*.

It was also nice to see Lin Homer getting a pasting off Maggie Hodge yesterday. At one point Hodge criticised HMRC by pointing out that they just sit and wait for people to come forward. Homer defended, saying HMRC are 'proactive'.

Proactive my *rse. I've had a COP8 open for almost ten years and they have done precisely ***k all in that time other than wait for new legislation that provides them with the toolkit to achieve what they wanted to achieve over the last decade but without any effort.

Laughable really. 'HMRC' and 'proactive' cannot be used in the same sentence.

Nice, but it'd be even better if someone with a bit more moral fibre than Margaret Hodge did the grilling... her only issue with HMRC is that they're not proactive enough in extracting more money from the productive in society, without discrimination. Meanwhile, when it comes to her own family's company and its use of "tax efficiency", we get silence and "I know nuffin' about UK company tax law". Sure, Maggie.

[zimbtar]

“HM Revenue & Customs says that this legislation is only there to stop ‘tax avoidance’. However, Section 554E(8) specifically exempts members of the House of Commons and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority from the new legislation in situations where they are actually caught by it."

Why should MPs be exempt from new law to block tax avoidance? – Telegraph Blogs

[webberg]

I definitely heard that as well. I thought I'd misheard.
Now we are clearly seeing why those clauses are in the legislation to protect MP's from these measures...

Would clearly be an error to think that an MP with a background as a medic would know anything about tax (lots of doctors though use tax avoidance schemes) or even policy.

The main parties have no policy on tax avoidance other than "it's bad for votes" if they are weak.

It's policy by tabloid headline.

[zimbtar]

Err, was it me or did Sarah Wollaston MP just say that Tax Avoidance can't be applied retrospectively live on TV?

I definitely heard that as well. I thought I'd misheard.
Now we are clearly seeing why those clauses are in the legislation to protect MP's from these measures...

[Axeman]

Eeverybody does it!

But then, as Lord Fink so eloquently says:

"Tax avoidance, everybody does it"

Lord Fink: tax avoidance is normal in British society | Business | The Guardian

[squirrel]

Question Time just now...

Err, was it me or did Sarah Wollaston MP just say that Tax Avoidance can't be applied retrospectively live on TV?

[Boobetty]

It was also nice to see Lin Homer getting a pasting off Maggie Hodge yesterday. At one point Hodge criticised HMRC by pointing out that they just sit and wait for people to come forward. Homer defended, saying HMRC are 'proactive'.

Proactive my *rse. I've had a COP8 open for almost ten years and they have done precisely ***k all in that time other than wait for new legislation that provides them with the toolkit to achieve what they wanted to achieve over the last decade but without any effort.

Laughable really. 'HMRC' and 'proactive' cannot be used in the same sentence.

[regron]

Not sure if anyone saw Sky News this morning at about 07:45 but they were discussing the current HSBC Tax Avoidance scandal which has recently broke. One chap being interviewed (didn't get details) stated as we all know that whilst Tax Evasion is illegal, Tax Avoidance isn't. He agreed with the government clamping down on Avoidance but clearly disagreed with the retrospective way of doing so, stating that whilst the HMRC tackle, name and shame big businesses and celebrities, there are a lot of others such as 'us' out there where it will hit very hard.

Ok, nothing over positive or to get overly excited about and not exactly breaking news but my point being, at least some people out there understand the implication of such draconian measures by HMRC and this is the first time I have heard that normal people will be affected by the media. Anything to keep the pressure on and the legs going on all of this !!!!

[webberg]

I can't see many Lords and Sirs and double-barrelled surnames on the list. I thought tax avoidance / evasion / corruption only went on in the upper echelons of society, well according to 90% of those having their say on the BBC HSBC article yesterday at least. It was incredible at how bitter and blinkered the vast majority of the respondents were. I did, however, come across a new phrase, the Politics of Envy. Never heard it called that before but it's perfect, succinct and exactly what HMRC and HMG (all parties) are up to. Unfortunately it's working and by the time the 90% realise what's happened it will be too late.

There's always votes to be had in bashing the more fortunate.

[squirrel]

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...defaulters.pdf

HMRC issues regular lists of those they regard as deserving "name and shame".

The first name on the latest list is interesting.

I've not researched who the company is connected to nor what they did but looking at the name, it looks like some form of agency/contractor arrangement.

In terms of HMRC's weapons, perhaps not the most effective but an indication of what they can do.

I can't see many Lords and Sirs and double-barrelled surnames on the list. I thought tax avoidance / evasion / corruption only went on in the upper echelons of society, well according to 90% of those having their say on the BBC HSBC article yesterday at least. It was incredible at how bitter and blinkered the vast majority of the respondents were. I did, however, come across a new phrase, the Politics of Envy. Never heard it called that before but it's perfect, succinct and exactly what HMRC and HMG (all parties) are up to. Unfortunately it's working and by the time the 90% realise what's happened it will be too late.