asperity Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 Would have been better if you had used Boris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 Or Boris AND Ken arguing about their tax returns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 I didn't have a picture of Boris in the Thames <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 I see that Boris has his tax affairs in order and it is Red Ken who is doing the fiddling..... typical socialist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Asperity, get me a picture of Boris and I will put him in the Thames for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 I never knew Ken Livingstone could play the violin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Asp, you need to drop Ken down a little...... he isn't quite up to his neck in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Boris has his taxes in order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 apparently so..... Red Ken pays himself dividends via a limited company and so pays corporation tax rather than income tax; which is less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Some folk might see that as tax evasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Apparently it's quite a common practice in local government circles :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 It's quite a common practise for the aspiring rich to emulate the rich, and employ Accountants to ensure they pay as little as possible! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Which brings us back to the tax avoidance/evasion question again, tax avoidance being legal but, in some people's opinion, immoral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 The general thinking is that everyone (from binmen to millionaires) all paid the same rate of tax the actual percentage take per person would be a lot less than it is now. However, the jealousy of the bin man would kick in to demand the millionaire pays more; thus the millionaire employs accountants to ensure he legally pays as little as possible....and the binman pays a higher percentage of his wages to cover the shortfall.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 OR they tighten up the laws, get rid of the loop holes and increase staff in the HMRC to ensure the pips are squeezed out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 OR they tighten up the laws, get rid of the loop holes and increase staff in the HMRC to ensure the pips are squeezed out! Â but you will never eliminate all of the loopholes.....because if you close one; another is found. Just tax everyone the same and you would get more in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 For a second there, I thought I saw a Tory advocating a completely progressive tax system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 We're dealing with a game, and the HMRC need the staff and powers to stay on top of it. I was actually waiting for the usual retort, that the rich would skip the Country; if we discount the pop stars, footballers and other celebs, I'm sure anyone who would be missed ,or rather their wealth and assets, could be forfeited prior to departure! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted April 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 if we discount the pop stars, footballers and other celebs, I'm sure anyone who would be missed ,or rather their wealth and assets, could be forfeited prior to departure! :wink: Â Translation please? :unsure: Â Actually what we need is a tax system that is simple enough for everyone to understand, fair enough that people will not resent paying it, and levied taking into account the taxpayers wishes that the government is not going to just urinate it against the nearest brick built vertical structure :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 The simplest and fairest taxation system would be one based on consumption rather than income or wealth. Â Sales taxes are MUCH harder to avoid than income taxes, MUCH cheaper to administer because the retailler has to do the collecting on behalf of the government, MUCH greener because they encourage reductions in waste, and MUCH fairer because the rich tend to consume more stuff and more expensive stuff so would pay more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Think most of us resent "paying it", especially those aware of the disparity of wealth in this land, who can't afford a firm of accountants to run their tax affairs. The idea, prompted by the Tories, that a tax reduction from 50p to 45p would result in a larger tax take is absolutely stupid. Having set up their tax avoidance schemes, they would be retained whatever the rate is. A more simple system yes, a fairer system - depends from which end of the telescope your looking. They could of course put the HMRC on a percentage of their tax take, which may get them chasing the biggest fish first?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 That would have the opposite effect Obs. Â If you want to land a ton of fish for the minimum effort do you go after the big and clever fish one at a time with a rod and fly, or do you just sweep through a whole shoal of the little ones with a bloody great trawl net? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 But the minnows don't avoid capture in the main, they're jumping onto the boat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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