Why does Osborne say he's surprised?

[Flex Your Head]

When the rest of us have known for years that the super-rich will do anything to avoid paying taxes?

BBC News - Millionaire tax avoiders chancellor

Just as well he cut the top rate of tax for these poor, wealthy bastards.

 

[Randsta]

Well you cant blame them? I would if I was them. Anyway 10% of millions of pounds is still a sh*t load of money in tax, @ least we're not Grecce!

 

[Colossal Squid]

What a pisstake. He knows EXACTLY what goes on and his party encourage it

 

[Medwayseagull]

He said he was surprised when someone told him he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

 

[goldstone]

When the rest of us have known for years that the super-rich will do anything to avoid paying taxes?

Let's be honest ... all of us will do anything we can to avoid paying taxes.

Don't blame the super-rich. Blame the government for permitting the loopholes.

 

[severnside gull]

He was probably surprised that other mega-loaded toadies besides him and Call-me-Dave knew about the tax loopholes he has created.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I am self employed. I pay my taxes to the penny. In fact I have probably under charged over the years I have been self employed.
If the Inland Revenue want to check they can, because I have absolutely nothing to hide. I can sleep easy at night. If people dodge tax, eventually they will get caught out and its not fair on the people who are honest.

 

[mikeyjh]

Let's be honest ... all of us will do anything we can to avoid paying taxes.

Don't blame the super-rich. Blame the government for permitting the loopholes.

I'm not sure that's entirely true - I'm quite happy to pay taxes where they are due and 'avoid' them where it is correct and legitimate to do so. By way if an example, I have rental properties that produce income, I pay tax on that income net of expenses incurred in the running to those properties, 'avoiding' paying tax on the full income. What I don't do is try and avoid paying tax by creating some offshore company in my grandmother's name or some messed up scenario like that. For me it's a moral thing, but there's the problem with tax 'avoidance', it's very grey....

 

[KVLT]

Just as well he cut the top rate of tax for these poor, wealthy bastards.

Which he did to stop the top tax payers leaving the country apparently.

So does he think making these super wealthy tax avoiders pay their share won't make them flee to another place where they can avoid their liabilities?

Something doesn't quite add up here.

If people dodge tax, eventually they will get caught out.

The thing is they use loopholes, and until the loopholes are closed they aren't doing anything illegal, so they can't actually be 'caught out' as you put it. They can only have their avenues of rule bending closed.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

It's amazing what you find out, often several years into your job. The other day, I discovered that some people BREAK into other people's houses, and STEAL their things.

Apparently they're called burglars. Well I never.

 

[Badger]

It's amazing what you find out, often several years into your job. The other day, I discovered that some people BREAK into other people's houses, and STEAL their things.

Apparently they're called burglars. Well I never.

...or squatters.