Tax avoidance is harming us all.

[truman]

no why dont some people share the same burden?

 

I don't understand what you're saying here..can you explain..

[Eater Sundae]

Gordon Brown culled thousands of experienced tax officials in 2005.

 

Having realised the mistake they were replaced later by unexperienced staff.

 

---------- Post added 14-02-2013 at 11:05 ----------

 

 

Unfortunately governments have been lax in pursuing large companies for years.

 

HMRC is able to challenge any expenses claimed against income if they think that it is not a genuine or an artificial transaction.

 

I've seen small companies pursued several times but HMRC does not seem to have the same appetite when facing multi-nationals

 

There are still two aspects here.

 

1. where companies are cheating, ie evading tax that is due, and

2. Where companies are legally avoiding tax by using the loopholes and unintended consequences associated with the government’s tax regime.

 

The HMRC should chase up the first, and take them to court. However, there is more to the problem than just prosecuting wrong doers. It should be made much easier to identify them in the first place.

 

IMO, both problems could be better addressed with a simpler tax system. Governments, over the years, have added to tax complexity by introducing little tweaks to tax regimes in an attempt to micro-manage the economy. All this does is provide jobs for tax consultants and lawyers, and a degree of confusion. This creates situations where there is conflict between what the HMRC think they should be receiving and what some companies think they should be paying. If it is not clear what should be paid in a particular situation, then the tax laws are not clear enough. If a false situation is created by tax law tweaks, then this will be the result.

[Cyclone]

hmm legal for some but not joe bloggs but hey who cares

 

Legal for everyone, that's how the law works.

 

---------- Post added 14-02-2013 at 11:31 ----------

 

It's not minor tweaks that allow multi nationals to shift local profit offshore and pay tax in a tax haven instead though.

 

That requires international co-operation to stop it happening.

[ricgem2002]

Legal for everyone, that's how the law works.

not for paye employers getting the same tax breaks as mps/rich people stop deluding yourself

[Cyclone]

not for paye employers getting the same tax breaks as mps/rich people stop deluding yourself

 

What you mean (I guess) is that some people aren't in a position to take advantage of the law.

 

The law still applies equally to everyone, which is what I said, and is correct.

[ricgem2002]

Legal for everyone, that's how the law works.

 

---------- Post added 14-02-2013 at 11:31 ----------

 

It's not minor tweaks that allow multi nationals to shift local profit offshore and pay tax in a tax haven instead though.

 

That requires international co-operation to stop it happening.

no it dosent it requires people making money in this country paying the tax in this country full stop anything else is a scam

 

---------- Post added 14-02-2013 at 11:34 ----------

 

What you mean (I guess) is that some people aren't in a position to take advantage of the law.

 

The law still applies equally to everyone, which is what I said, and is correct.

so the tax loopholes arnt equal to everyone thats what i said

[truman]

no it dosent it requires people making money in this country paying the tax in this country full stop anything else is a scam

 

---------- Post added 14-02-2013 at 11:34 ----------

 

so the tax loopholes arnt equal to everyone thats what i said

 

HAve a read..

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9106846/Three-in-every-ten-pounds-of-income-tax-paid-by-top-one-per-cent-of-earners.html

[ricgem2002]

HAve a read..

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9106846/Three-in-every-ten-pounds-of-income-tax-paid-by-top-one-per-cent-of-earners.html

:hihi: take your head out of the sand

[Cyclone]

no it dosent it requires people making money in this country paying the tax in this country full stop anything else is a scam

 

---------- Post added 14-02-2013 at 11:34 ----------

 

so the tax loopholes arnt equal to everyone thats what i said

 

This is what you said

 

hmm legal for some but not joe bloggs but hey who cares

 

And you were and still are wrong.

 

If you wanted to say that not all tax avoidance is applicable to all people, then say that. (It will of course be stating the obvious).

[truman]

:hihi: take your head out of the sand

 

Again.. can you explain what you mean?