Gary Barlow and his OBE...

[Arginald Valleywater]

Just think how much good the tax these twunts have avoided could do? Body Armour for the armed forces, new ambulances, extra teachers.

[Sam Slater]

Gary Barlow is a public figure and makes his living off the public who buy his stuff. Therefore, his tax affairs are public interest. People may not want to buy his music and contribute to his tax avoidance just like some people don't want to eat meat that has been part of an Islamic religious ritual, or people who don't buy trainers that have been made in sweatshops by children.

For people to make their choice, they need to be informed.

[Essex Lad]

So because Gary Barlow is a public figure, the public have the right to know everything about him including his private finances? That's the old News of the World defence ? it's of interest to the public therefore the public have a right to know.

[JamesW]

Essex Lad wrote:

> It is even weirder when they get Knighted by the
> > Government, even though they've dodged their taxes.
>
> Apparently what held up Norman Wisdom's K.


What taxes did Norman Wisdom dodge?

[David Johnson]

Unless I am misunderstanding what he is saying, Sam is not suggesting "the public have the right to know everything about him including his private finances". His tax avoidance? Yes.

I agree with Mr. Slater wholeheartedly which is why I have never used Starbucks and why I have never used Amazon. Knowing about their tax avoidance allows me to make choices about my purchases.

[David Johnson]

"Gary Barlow has done nothing illegal, if you could legally avoid paying tax just like you legally try to reduce all your other outgoings you would do it. Hodge, Cameron and any other politician need to shut their mouths about individuals tax affairs."

This is incorrect. A simplistic way of viewing this is to argue tax avoidance is legal, tax evasion is illegal. And you hear people arguing that what Barlow has been doing is no different from a businessman claiming travel expenses to help reduce his tax bill for his limited company.

That is not the case, certainly nowadays.

1. If I have as a self-employed person offset travel, hotel and say, computer costs that I have incurred in my business against the income of that business, it is viewed as perfectly legal and expected by HMRC. And I guess you could say I have "avoided tax" in the same way that anybody using a cash ISA is "avoiding tax".

2. However, tax avoidance is more accurately used to describe bending the rules of the tax system to gain a tax advantage that Parliament never intended. Secondly it often involves contrived, artificial transactions that serve little or no purpose other than to produce a tax advantage. It involves operating within the letter - but not the spirit - of the law. This is what Barlow's tax advisers have been up to.

3. If a tax tribunal decides that you are using the aggressive tax avoidance scheme that Barlow used then "you risk having to pay the tax, the interest and penalties as well". This is why Barlow is going to get a very big bill popping through his letterbox.

4. If you deliberately try to avoid tax by not disclosing relevant facts, lying about certain things etc etc. then that is tax evasion.

Personally I completely disagree with LivePornShows. Whether it is individuals in the public eye or mega corporations like Amazon using all sorts of tax dodges to avoid paying tax then I want it shouting from the rooftops.

I can use this knowledge to "avoid" buying any of the bastards' products. LivePornSHow mentions MPs tax expense fiddles. Yep they are illegal but they are insignificant compared to the umpteen billions of tax avoided and evaded by mega rich individuals and companies.

[Sam Slater]

What have I told you about reading things properly? Knowing about his tax avoidance and 'knowing everything about him' are not the same thing, are they?

The News of the World comparison doesn't wash given I never advocated breaking the law to gain his tax records.

A waste of a reply really.

[Essex Lad]

David, perhaps I am wrong buy i guess that you won't be sitting on the settee tomorrow after the Cup Final listening to your Take That Greatest Hits bought off amazon, while sipping your Starbucks skinny latte...

[Cuntybollocks]

So will he be charged then David???