Another 10% my right "honorable" gentleman?

[Berberis]

Yet the window cleaner is the most likely to be caught out!

 

I don't know. How many window cleaners are there in the UK and how many have been sent to prison for fiddling the books?

 

Without this knowledge, you can't claim anything, you can only assume.

[Bonzo77]

I don't know. How many window cleaners are there in the UK and how many have been sent to prison for fiddling the books?

 

Without this knowledge, you can't claim anything, you can only assume.

 

Millions. Yet there's only a hand full of mega rich tax dodgers. You'd think the big dogs would be easier to catch?!

 

You're right though, I'm only speculating. But I'm taking an educated guess.

[Berberis]

Millions. Yet there's only a hand full of mega rich tax dodgers. You'd think the big dogs would be easier to catch?!

 

You're right though, I'm only speculating. But I'm taking an educated guess.

 

I would disagree. The mega rich have much more complicated tax affairs to police, while a self employed window cleaner will have a very simple set of accounts. An anomaly will stand out in these compared to a Mega rich persons return.

 

But back to the MP vs Window Cleaners comparison. Lets say 1% of MP's have been caught defrauding the tax office and 1% of the million window cleaners (combined with all other similar jobs). If you took the current prison population as approx 85,000 people. 1% of 1 million is 10,000 people. That would mean over 10% of the population of our prisons would be in their for tax avoidance. I doubt that is the case and so, statistically, the proportion of window cleaners caught and imprisoned is actually lower than the proportion of MP's punished.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Berberis

[Bonzo77]

I would disagree. The mega rich have much more complicated tax affairs to police, while a self employed window cleaner will have a very simple set of accounts. An anomaly will stand out in these compared to a Mega rich persons return.

 

It's common knowledge that Apple, for example, have avoided over $70bn in taxes in the US over the last 4 years, yet they continue to get away with it.

 

A window cleaner could easily claim to have cleaned 70% of his/her round and pocket the rest tax free.

 

I don't see how you could prove the latter, unless you audited the window cleaners round?

[Mister M]

Just been listening to a discussion about this on the radio. One of the contributors (an MP) said that MPs should get more money because, as he put it, 'we need to attract the brightest and the best'. I disagree. The risk in that strategy is that you'll just attract the greediest. And judging by the expense claims already submitted, that's one characteristic the House of Commons isn't short of.

Being an MP is as much about public service than anything....What I want in an MP is to be grounded, empathic, principled and conscientious. I don't want a saint or a superman. Look at the tributes paid to Charles Kennedy this last few days - it was partly because he embodied what many believe to be the public service ethos that the tributes to him were so warm.

 

Anyway I'm sure there are a lot of prospective candidates willing to work as an MP for less than £74,000 p.a. Isn't that what employers say to employees who ask for high pay rises?

 

With regards to expenses, those should be limited to travel, costs of running an office (including the hiring of staff), and costs incurred whilst working for their constituents. I don't see why the state can't purchase modest properties for MPs to live in while they are in London - rather than MPs claiming back, and profiting from property paid for by taxpayers.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Mister M

[Berberis]

It's common knowledge that Apple, for example, have avoided over $70bn in taxes in the US over the last 4 years, yet they continue to get away with it.

 

A window cleaner could easily claim to have cleaned 70% of his/her round and pocket the rest tax free.

 

I don't see how you could prove the latter, unless you audited the window cleaners round?

 

I thought we were talking about people, not businesses. This is a whole different ball game, but Apple tax affairs in the USA is not really our concern.

 

Vodafone is our best example.

 

Unfortunately you cant send a company to prison and the effects of financial penalties could have jeopardised innocent peoples jobs.

[Obelix]

It's common knowledge that Apple, for example, have avoided over $70bn in taxes in the US over the last 4 years, yet they continue to get away with it.

 

Get away with what? They've not paid US tax on it because it was earned overseas. They've paid the overseas tax for sure. When they bring it back home then tax will become due. When they decide to do something with it - tax will become due and I'm sure they will pay.

 

---------- Post added 03-06-2015 at 14:54 ----------

 

 

Vodafone is our best example.

 

Unfortunately you cant send a company to prison and the effects of financial penalties could have jeopardised innocent peoples jobs.

 

Vodafone did nothing wrong. It was a complete fabrication made up by Private Eye - I'm surprised that Vodafone didn't sue them. You might want to have a read of this...

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/18/once_more_into_the_tax_breach_dear_friends/

[Bonzo77]

I thought we were talking about people, not businesses. This is a whole different ball game, but Apple tax affairs in the USA is not really our concern.

 

Vodafone is our best example.

 

Unfortunately you cant send a company to prison and the effects of financial penalties could have jeopardised innocent peoples jobs.

 

You can punish responsible individuals, or at the very least, force them to stop their shady practices!

 

If the result means job losses, compensate those people who lose their jobs. There's enough money in Apples account!