gnvqsos Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 No. I honestly believe most companies try to abide by the rules but fail due to the complexity of the system. In my first 5 years on the job I reckon I visited 4 or 5 companies that were truly bent. I see a lot more crooks nowadays, as a percentage, because we are more selective about which people we look at. Well I have a relative who ran a tax district(Gloucester2) and he uncovered corrupt practice all over especially antiques,restaurants and hospitality.Are you refering to all firms or just limited companies?Most companies are formed to enjoy tax advantages such as Philip Green and wife who are joint shareholders who arguably could trade as partners.Would you say MrG is less than straight or simply abiding by rules whch have been bent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnvqsos Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Well,you live and learn.I really didn't know that.Thank you very much. Thats fine -I am here to help anytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Well I have a relative who ran a tax district(Gloucester2) and he uncovered corrupt practice all over especially antiques,restaurants and hospitality.Are you refering to all firms or just limited companies?Most companies are formed to enjoy tax advantages such as Philip Green and wife who are joint shareholders who arguably could trade as partners.Would you say MrG is less than straight or simply abiding by rules whch have been bent? They are avoiders, not evaders. Personally I think they are scum and should have all their money taken off them and given to the poor, but legally they haven't committed a crime. Most of the businesses I visited at the start of my career were Ltd Companies who operated PAYE, sent in accounts, returned income etc. but still got things wrong. Nowadays I am more targeted at those who are totally non-compliant, no returns, no VAT reg, not even trying to play the game. I still resent the fact that we target "small fry" whilst big business can get away with avoidance on epic scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnvqsos Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 They are avoiders, not evaders. Personally I think they are scum and should have all their money taken off them and given to the poor, but legally they haven't committed a crime. Most of the businesses I visited at the start of my career were Ltd Companies who operated PAYE, sent in accounts, returned income etc. but still got things wrong. Nowadays I am more targeted at those who are totally non-compliant, no returns, no VAT reg, not even trying to play the game. I still resent the fact that we target "small fry" whilst big business can get away with avoidance on epic scales. Evasion and avoidance-semantic and legal differences but morally convergent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Evasion and avoidance-semantic and legal differences but morally convergent. Totally agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 They are avoiders, not evaders. Personally I think they are scum and should have all their money taken off them and given to the poor, but legally they haven't committed a crime. Are the people who work abroad tax free scum too? How about the pensioners that have an offshore savings account, or the pension funds that invest overseas to get a better return for their beneficiaries, are they all scum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Are the people who work abroad tax free scum too? How about the pensioners that have an offshore savings account, or the pension funds that invest overseas to get a better return for their beneficiaries, are they all scum? Your examples are not ones that HMRC would consider to be avoidance. "In general terms, tax avoidance can be said to be activity that a person or business may undertake to reduce their tax in a way that runs counter to the spirit and purpose of the law" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Rich Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 If you had any idea about the scrutiny that the Inland Revenue put on people like me and their business, you would quickly realise that "fiddlework" is not a game of the upper classes. So you see yourself as upperclass do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Your examples are not ones that HMRC would consider to be avoidance.That doesn't quite sit with your comment about the Greens. Or was that simply emotional, and your scale of "scumminess" varies according to amounts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Your examples are not ones that HMRC would consider to be avoidance. "In general terms, tax avoidance can be said to be activity that a person or business may undertake to reduce their tax in a way that runs counter to the spirit and purpose of the law" I appreciate your point but you'll appreciate mine that the law is the law and if it isn't in our bloated and unwieldy tax book it isn't in the tax book. Avoidance is not evasion, no matter what flavour it comes in. Indeed, the law states that companies should do their best to pay as little tax as legally possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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