Tax avoidance: EVERYONE is at it...

[one eyed jack]

Corporate tax is frickin hefty at something like 60% Can you blame huge companies for going the way they have?

I don't condone it but I understand it

Regular folk like us will bitch all day about the money hungry corporate companies not paying their tax but these loop holes were left unchecked so the rich could get away with it.

If you could get away without paying as much tax wouldnt you too?

I think the system flags people making lots of money because the government dont want people making too much money because you can be a threat because of it.

This is a prime example of why I think this country is more socialist than capitalist and probably the real reason why drug dealing is illegal

[max_tranmere]

I think one reason why they won't close the loopholes is because all large firms across the western world are doing this tax-dodge thing and if we became the only country in the west to tighten things up then everyone will relocate elsewhere.

One thing I heard on the news tonight is that British-American Tobacco is one of the firms doing it, and Ken Clarke the Justice Secretary is/was one if its directors. He is now in the government (again) and has made a personal fortune out of his involvement with them. Disgraceful.

[David Johnson]

Yep, I think you are right, Max. I am sure that that is one of the reasons the Labour government did so little.

And to be fair, which I rarely am, as soon as one tax loophole is closed down, banks and accountants who earn millions from this activity, work out another new loophole for their rich clients.

Cheers
D

[Gusset Sniffer]

They are only doing their job. Everyone desrves a few crumbs off the table. Blame the politicians. They make the rules. Why don't the arseholes in westminster employ a top firm of accountants to tighten things up? Simples

[David Johnson]

"Everyone desrves a few crumbs off the table"

Yes, I sob uncontrollably every time I think of our suffering corporate leaders.

[RoddersUK]

If I could avoid tax I would. As a salaried taxpayer and a Pension recipient I have no choice but to hand over my earnings to the fucking IR and receive my pittance from the bastards. My company pension is ?254 per month, the fucking taxman takes ?100. My Army pension is ?745 per month, the fucking taxman gives me ?495.
No wonder the people of this country are fucking fed up to the back teeth with all the taxes which we get stung with. I know some smartarse will say that you have to have it to pay it, but that is beside the point. Most people work hard to earn their pay and have no choice but to submit to HMRC, the bastards.
I would like to see all pensions exempt from tax, but that is a pipe dream I suppose and I very much doubt that any fucking politician would ever suggest it. The problem is, I think, that HMRC run this country, not politicians. The bastards are just too powerful for any government to cut down to size, which the bastards need.

[andy at handiwork]

So who will be paying for the education, healthcare, police, roads, armed forces, etc. for you and yours? Other people?

[RoddersUK]

I can assure you all that if I was in the position and with the wherewithall I would pay as little tax as possible. If I was lucky enough to win the Euro millions I would be offsky quicker than you could blink an eye and take my cheque with me so that HMRC wouldn't get a penny of it. There are plenty of nice places to live in that wouldn't emasculate you the way HMRC do. Fuckem I say.