I really cannot understand this. If something is legal and means you pay less tax - do it. If it's not, don't. It's totally absolutely up to government to decide and pass clear laws. Making it a moral position is barmy. And means more confusion, unfairness and expense in money and effort. As a poster here said - ISAs are legal tax avoidance.

JK2006 wrote:
I really cannot understand this. If something is legal and means you pay less tax - do it. If it's not, don't. It's totally absolutely up to government to decide and pass clear laws. Making it a moral position is barmy. And means more confusion, unfairness and expense in money and effort. As a poster here said - ISAs are legal tax avoidance.

It's only by putting these things in the public domain can we put pressure on governments to change laws etc.
If celebrities want to be judged in a better light then they have to be seen to 'do the right thing'.
Tax avoidance schemes are legal...but moral?Remember most of the UK are struggling to earn a living,not wrapped up in avoiding paying their share of the tax burden.

Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.

Once again it is celebrities that are being hounded about this.
However, celebrities are exactly the people who should be able to avoid tax - as usually their income is sporadic, concentrated into short high earning periods, often involving overseas earnings.
It is right that very large income periods should be spread over years of low income periods, and providing there is a legal way of doing this - why should we care?
It makes a good story though - and what amuses me, is that the Daily Mail is at the forefront of these stories, and yet their owner, Lord Rothemere is one of the largest 'tax avoiders' - have set himself up 'offshore' he doesn't pay a penny in UK tax.

robbiex wrote:
Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.


If there are loopholes it means that somebody hasn't done their job properly. Why pick on those who are clever enough to spot it?

honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.


If there are loopholes it means that somebody hasn't done their job properly. Why pick on those who are clever enough to spot it?

You're missing the point. Laws should be tighter without doubt, but it doesn't mean that if you earn millions and pay 1% tax, while the rest of us pay 25% - 40% then this means that they are selfish and greedy, and this is the point of the story.

honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.


If there are loopholes it means that somebody hasn't done their job properly. Why pick on those who are clever enough to spot it?

Wonder if Ken Dodd is still hiding money.

andrew wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.


If there are loopholes it means that somebody hasn't done their job properly. Why pick on those who are clever enough to spot it?

Wonder if Ken Dodd is still hiding money.

Saw him live,Scarborough 1978,hilarious

robbiex wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.


If there are loopholes it means that somebody hasn't done their job properly. Why pick on those who are clever enough to spot it?

You're missing the point. Laws should be tighter without doubt, but it doesn't mean that if you earn millions and pay 1% tax, while the rest of us pay 25% - 40% then this means that they are selfish and greedy, and this is the point of the story.

Who doesn't want to pay less tax? I think a lot of the outrage is jealousy of richer people.

Spot on Honey. Simplistic envy for the brain dead. "Rich people should pay more". Doh.

JK2006 wrote:
"Rich people should pay more"

Yes - they should. And they do.

The important thing is that the same rules, rates and percentages apply to them - as the rest of us.

Usually, the very rich end up giving away their fortune- like Carnegie and Rockefeller. And, currently, Gates.

Pattaya wrote:
andrew wrote:
honey!oh sugar sugar. wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Schemes like the ones that Gary Barlow and Katie Meluia are involved in are aggressive tax aviodance clearly finding loopholes in the laws, Isas are just a different way of investing your money.

I think there should be a blanket tax avoidance law, covering all bases. Everyone knows what tax avoidance is and should avoid it as it loses the country billions of pounds a year.


If there are loopholes it means that somebody hasn't done their job properly. Why pick on those who are clever enough to spot it?

Wonder if Ken Dodd is still hiding money.

Saw him live,Scarborough 1978,hilarious

I saw him in Southend on Sea several years, he did a 3 hour set.