Jimmy Carr - I do not pay a penny more tax than I have to.

[Seagull58]

I am addressing Cameron. He said it. And I'm addressing the Tories. They're in power. You're bumbling around blaming people for playing a political game, when no-one OTHER than you is.

That's not true. Several posters have specifically targetted the Tories in their posts, including you, and I have consistently pointed out that tax avoidance has been a long-running theme under both Labour and Conservative governments.

 

[Simster]

Not entirely:

From Twitter: @ Frankieboyle "If you're rich, don't look at it as tax avoidance, look at it as a Childrens hospital buying you a pool table."

I've done him a disservice.

"The only person paying less income tax at the Jubillee concert than Carr and Barlow was Lenny Henry, because he doesn't earn any money"

 

[Seagull58]

No I am not

I was saying that a lack of moral compass in the Conservative party makes it ironic that their leader is making moral judgements about someone else.

I rather wish I hadn't bothered now. Can we drop it?

Consider it dropped. After all we wouldn't want to start discussing Tony Blair's moral compass, would we?

 

[Simster]

ALSO: "Agree with David Cameron saying Jimmy Carr's tax avoidance "morally wrong". We need that money to fire missiles into the homes of shepherds.

 

[Ernest]

Tax dodging tosser, never thought him funny anyway

 

[Seagull58]

It's no good Big Cam saying it is morally wrong , he is not a bloke on a forum moaning he is the Prime Minister so why doesn't he close every tax avoiding loop hole ? Probably because his mates and Tory party donating chums wouldn't be too happy.

Closing tax avoidance loopholes is a never ending business that is continually in process, as is taking action on illegal tax evasion.

 

[Aadam]

I quite agree that the Labour party and Lib Dems will also have tax avoiding rich benefactors, but you are deluded if you think the Tories are not more tainted by this than any other party.

I wonder whether there is the appetite for a flat rate of tax mentioned by [MENTION=17103]Mo Gosfield[/MENTION] and myself this morning? I like the idea of these tax avoiding scum being made to pay their due, especially if that due turns out to be only 15 or 20% that everyone else pays...

But, like VAT, that's plainly unfair on lower earners as higher earners can afford to lose a larger proportion of their income without it affecting their lifestyle - it's a basic tenet of progressive taxation that the more you earn, the more the rate rises. If the system is run properly, that is.

Lower earners still pay 20% since the abolishment of the 10p rate. I'm sure they'd also welcome a lower flat rate of tax. Unless we're talking about also removing the £8,000 tax free limit?

You are adjusting your income streams to avoid paying your fair share of tax. This is morally wrong.

Again it comes to the question about how much is too much. You can sacrifice your salary in favour of child care vouchers, partake in a SAYE scheme, make pension contributions, take out private medical etc. It's all perfectly legal would you say this is morally wrong, too?

 

[trueblue]

Lower earners still pay 20% since the abolishment of the 10p rate. I'm sure they'd also welcome a lower flat rate of tax.

I'm sure they would but that's missing the basic point which is that, for a tax to be progressive not regressive, lower earners should pay out a lower proportion of their income than high earners as that amount will have a greater effect on their basic standard of living. So, yes, most low earners would jump at a 15% flat rate for everyone, thinking they're better off when, in fact, they're being turned over yet again.

 

[warsaw]

Could it be that the tax dodgers are the ones shouting the loudest about benefit cheats? Now that would be ironic.

Both scum of the highest order for me. As someone else said, if we all pay our correct amount of tax we could all have a tax cut.