Ken Livingstone used tax loophole to avoid paying £50,000 in tax

[Vague_Boy]

Ken Livingstone used a loophole to avoid £50,000 in tax, despite having attacked tax avoiders in the past as ‘rich b******s.’

 

Companies House documents show that Labour’s London mayoral candidate earned £232,000 in 2009, the first year after his defeat to Boris Johnson.

 

The money was earned from personal appearances, speech making and hosting a radio show.

 

It was paid into a personal company set up by Mr Livingstone and Emma Beal, his then partner who is now his wife.

 

The pair are sole shareholders in the company, Silveta Ltd.

 

Accountants told the Sunday Telegraph that the move appears designed to ensure that Mr Livingstone paid corporation tax at 20 or 21 per cent, rather than income tax at up to 40 per cent.

 

The move is entirely legal.

 

Three years ago, Mr Livingstone criticised tax avoiders, saying: ‘These rich b******s just don’t get it. No one should be allowed to vote in a British election, let alone sit in Parliament, unless they pay their full share of tax.’

LINK

 

I can quite understand why he did it, I did the same thing myself a few years ago, went Limited and started paying Corporation Tax.

 

The difference is of course, is that I never said "These rich b******s just don’t get it. No one should be allowed to vote in a British election, let alone sit in Parliament, unless they pay their full share of tax."

 

Once again it's "do as I say, not as I do".

[Frank Sidney]

Yes but if he took any money out of the company it would be liable for income tax and NI. Lots of people work like this. I did when I contracted in the public sector...

[gnvqsos]

Its amazing how much a tedious whining individual can earn-no wonder he let bj win

[emma royd]

He's like Blair. He preaches socialism and taxing the rich...all apart from himself.

[callippo]

LINK

 

Once again it's "do as I say, not as I do".

 

Libertarian Socialists are all the same. The Liberty is for them, but the Socialism is for everybody else.

[ferno]

Gilligan’s Ken Tax Story Is A Disgrace.

 

 

This morning, Telegraph readers were able to read exclusively about the supposed hypocrisy of rotten leftie Ken Livingstone avoiding paying his taxes.

 

This was just what the campaign of occasional Mayor Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson wanted, and was eagerly trailed by his deeply unpleasant campaign manager Lynton Crosby, though dear Lynt needed two goes to get the link advertised.

 

 

 

But there is one problem with the story: it’s complete crap, but then, readers should know that anything bearing the by-line of Andrew Gilligan should be treated with utmost suspicion. The Telegraph’s “London Editor” has taken publicly available records from Livingstone’s limited company and phoned up the Labour challenger in a cheap piece of gotcha hackery, then invented an “avoidance” figure of £50,000.

 

http://zelo-street.blogspot.com/2012/02/gilligans-ken-tax-story-is-disgrace.html

 

No evidence of the former Mayor avoiding paying Income Tax at 40% is provided, as Gilligan has none. He has nothing to back his suggestion that Livingstone is not “paying [his] full share”. And if funds are left in the limited company, they can still attract Corporation Tax. The taxman gets you one way or the other.

 

Gilligan’s piece is typically shoddy, misinformed and slanted. One would expect no less from a blinkered tribalist. And it’s a disgrace to journalism – again.

[ANGELFIRE1]

No doubt Red Ken (another champagne socialist) will be taking legal action against Mr Andrew Gilligan then. I await the case with baited breath.

 

Angel.

[mj.scuba]

Lol I hope he is reminded of that every time he starts attacking "rich ********".

 

Just as worrying is how cosy he is with Islamic extremists.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100139047/ken-livingstones-extremist-links-a-remarkable-intellect-hits-back/