Taxes. If you could, legally, pay £300 a month less tax, would you?

[Lady Whistledown]

Going on from US's thread about Jimmy Carr (a good point raised, I might add), I must admit, I'm intrigued to find out just where NSCers' moral high ground starts and stops.

Working on the assumption that you could do what Carr is doing, entirely within the boundaries of current legislation, and pay £300 a month less tax than you do currently, would you do it? Or would you refuse on moral grounds, pay the higher amount, and relax in the knowledge that you're contributing more to British society?

 

[Lush]

Poll?

 

[sir albion]

Of cause i would,anyone who says diffrent is shot away

Jimmy has done what anyone would do in the same situation

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Missing the point completely for Jimmy Carr.

 

[StonehamPark]

Without any hesitation, look out for numero uno.

 

[brakespear]

I'd rather pay the full amount and retain my right to comment/debate a wide range of matters which can ultimately be traced back to taxes without feeling like a massive fraud

 

[severnside gull]

No question I would.

The tax loopholes being exploited by "celebrities" have been available, known about by government, not spoken about, and not closed down, for a long long time. The question "why (not)"? might be an admirable starting point rather than jumping on the train with Cameron and Osborn now.

Equally intriguing is why the fuss right now? But it will doubtless be clarified soon enough as to who was about to spill the beans and on what, causing Cameron to go public to claim some credit.



Call me cynical


I hasten to add that as far as I am aware/concerned the current administration is neither more nor less culpable in this respect than previous administrations

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Missing the point completely for Jimmy Carr.

Having re-read the thread, what I didn't realise at first is that he's evidently been using other people's activities on that front as a stick to beat them with, which clearly is completely hypocritical on his part.

But I'm just interested to know what people think on the money front. I accept totally there is a moral argument going on here, but I'm genuinely intrigued to see how many people would back up that argument with actions, bearing in mind what's going on currently is 100% within the law (which is the bit I personally believe is wrong).

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Missing the point completely for Jimmy Carr.

This. I am not sure of this poll. Carr if he earns £ 500k a year is avoiding around £ 200k a year in taxes not £ 300.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Would you prefer the money you pay fancy lawyers to avoid tax to go into the public pot, or into the pockets of the fancy lawyers ?

 

[seagull1981]

Agree; Morally wrong? It's legal, we all have the same rules upon us, some of us i.e Jimmy Carr work out that they can save some of the 30% of their hard earn't money that's subsidized from them. I don't think many wouldn't go down the same route?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

This. I am not sure of this poll. Carr if he earns £ 500k a year is avoiding around £ 200k a year in taxes not £ 300.

According to the Metro he earns£3.3M a year.

 

[Aadam]

This isn't really a good poll. What would be better is a lower percentage. £300 to someone earning £1,000 a month is worth a lot more then to someone earning £4,000 a month

 

[Lady Whistledown]

This. I am not sure of this poll. Carr if he earns £ 500k a year is avoiding around £ 200k a year in taxes not £ 300.

(1) it's up to the Government to pull their fingers out and do something about it, rather than sitting on their arses while grateful rich people squirrel their money away using the powers granted to them by the authorities

(2) Where do you draw the line at acceptability then (PS it's £3600 a year I'm talking about, not £300)? If I steal £100 from someone, is it any more acceptable than stealing £100,000? It's still stealing. I'm not sure you can have degrees of wrong-ness in this case.

(3) I didn't start the poll to have a dig at you anyway, I just want to know what people think.

 

[BensGrandad]

This has been going on for years and years and wasn't it Lord Vessey who owned Dewhurst Butchers who only paid £10 one year. Unfortunately it is only the wealthy who can afford to pay the people to avoid tax which in itself isn't a criminal offence. To evade tax is.

 

[Aadam]

(1) it's up to the Government to pull their fingers out and do something about it, rather than sitting on their arses while grateful rich people squirrel their money away using the powers granted to them by the authorities

(2) Where do you draw the line at acceptability then (PS it's £3600 a year I'm talking about, not £300)? If I steal £100 from someone, is it any more acceptable than stealing £100,000? It's still stealing. I'm not sure you can have degrees of wrong-ness in this case.

(3) I didn't start the poll to have a dig at you anyway, I just want to know what people think.

But steeling is illegal. Avoiding tax isn't.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

This isn't really a good poll. What would be better is a lower percentage. £300 to someone earning £1,000 a month is a lot less than someone earning £4,000 a month

Random figure plucked out of the air. Basic economics suggests that there aren't many full time workers on here earning £12k a year. I guess the point is whatever you earn: would you pay less if you could? I'm not talking about breaking the law, obviously.

 

[Beach Hut]

SNT IT lORD vESSEY WHO OWNED

WTF ?

Anyway back to the point it is up to the government to close the loopholes

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

SNT IT lORD vESSEY WHO OWNED

Good point, well made.

 

[pipkin112]

Personally, i would like to pay as little tax as possible.