59 replies to this topic

[JohnM]

Stemcor pays just 0.01pc tax on £2.1bn of business generated in the UK.

Stem-who? Ask Margaret Hodge about her family company! See http://blogs.channel...-for-hodge/1915

Should go down well when yet another hypocritical Champagne Socialist has a go at Starbucks over transfer pricing and corporation tax.

[Johnoco]

Judging by the queue stretching out of Starbucks in Leeds today (one of several) its not an issue that bothers UK customers.

Its the rules that need changing.

[Futtocks]

Judging by the queue stretching out of Starbucks in Leeds today (one of several) its not an issue that bothers UK customers.

Yep, not bothered by tax dodging or the lousy coffee they make.

[Bedford Roughyed]

Lets be honest, when asked a direct question of 'is actively avoiding tax wrong or unfair' and most people would say yes.

Ask them would they stop going to starbucks or amazon, etc and they wouldn't. We are often outraged but rarely actually act upon it.

[Shadow]

Actively avoiding Tax is neither wrong nor unfair, we all do it and the Tax structure in this country is there to allow people and corporations to do just that.
Up until 2000 most of the homebuyers in the UK received MIRAS, would these be the same "most people" who now think tax avoidance schemes are wrong?

Tax evasion is quite a different matter but don't lose sight of the fact that all these corporations and individuals are doing is taking advantage of the law as it stands. If there was a massive loophole that effectively said "anyone supporting Accrington Stanley can claim 100% of their earnings as tax-free then the membership for their supporters club would suddenly be close to the working population of the UK, the fault would not lie with the people taking advantage of the loophole, or for that matter Accrington Stanley FC, but with the government that allowed a loophole that massive and that ridiculous to exist. Probably Thatcher's fault. That or the RFL / RFU.

[Ex-Kirkholt]

Actively avoiding Tax is neither wrong nor unfair, we all do it and the Tax structure in this country is there to allow people and corporations to do just that.
Up until 2000 most of the homebuyers in the UK received MIRAS, would these be the same "most people" who now think tax avoidance schemes are wrong?

Tax evasion is quite a different matter but don't lose sight of the fact that all these corporations and individuals are doing is taking advantage of the law as it stands. If there was a massive loophole that effectively said "anyone supporting Accrington Stanley can claim 100% of their earnings as tax-free then the membership for their supporters club would suddenly be close to the working population of the UK, the fault would not lie with the people taking advantage of the loophole, or for that matter Accrington Stanley FC, but with the government that allowed a loophole that massive and that ridiculous to exist. Probably Thatcher's fault. That or the RFL / RFU.

I'll go with RFU.

[Ex-Kirkholt]

Actively avoiding Tax is neither wrong nor unfair, we all do it and the Tax structure in this country is there to allow people and corporations to do just that.
Up until 2000 most of the homebuyers in the UK received MIRAS, would these be the same "most people" who now think tax avoidance schemes are wrong?

Tax evasion is quite a different matter but don't lose sight of the fact that all these corporations and individuals are doing is taking advantage of the law as it stands. If there was a massive loophole that effectively said "anyone supporting Accrington Stanley can claim 100% of their earnings as tax-free then the membership for their supporters club would suddenly be close to the working population of the UK, the fault would not lie with the people taking advantage of the loophole, or for that matter Accrington Stanley FC, but with the government that allowed a loophole that massive and that ridiculous to exist. Probably Thatcher's fault. That or the RFL / RFU.

I see your point but, at the time, MIRAS was something that existed to encourage people to buy their own homes.

Although a lot of large corporations are not breaking the law as it stands, they are breaking "the spirit of the law" by having taxation specialists fine-tooth combing the regulations for loopholes that are basically the holes left in the laws by not correctly wording the law.

The loopholes are not put in to reward companies who's tax advisors are clever enough to spot them.

[John Rhino]

I see the gas and water companies are the latest you can add to the list.
You CAN blame Thatcher for that, flogging them off to the French and Germans simply to satisfy an ideology without a single thought for the consequences.

[gingerjon]

these corporations and individuals are doing is taking advantage of the law as it stands.

UK Uncut started with Vodafone - who had broken the law but were let off by their chums at the HMRC.

[JohnM]

and the hypocrite Hodge?

[gingerjon]

and the hypocrite Hodge?

The company says it pays an effective tax rate of 30%.

I have no idea if this makes Hodge a hypocrite or not.

But it if makes you feel any better I promise not to do any of my steel trading through Stemcor.

[WearyRhino]

and the hypocrite Hodge?

I think you've answered your own question John.

[Methven Hornet]

Lets be honest, when asked a direct question of 'is actively avoiding tax wrong or unfair' and most people would say yes.

Ask them would they stop going to starbucks or amazon, etc and they wouldn't. We are often outraged but rarely actually act upon it.

Although I think I heard something on the radio about a boycott being organised against organisations who dodge tax. The authorities could do with publishing a league table before that gets off the ground.

For my part, I will never make a purchase from Starbucks again.

[shrek]

For my part, I will never make a purchase from Starbucks again.

Good position to take, aside from the tax issues I'd been thinking for a while now this year I'd be going local/independent instead of taking the lazy/easy option of using Amazon.

[Shadow]

Good position to take, aside from the tax issues I'd been thinking for a while now this year I'd be going local/independent instead of taking the lazy/easy option of using Amazon.

I didn't realise Amazon sold Coffee

[shrek]

I didn't realise Amazon sold Coffee

Really? Amazon sell everything.

[Shadow]

Really? Amazon sell everything.

Drat.
Outsmarted.

[shrek]

Drat.
Outsmarted.

Sorry!

[getdownmonkeyman]

Although I think I heard something on the radio about a boycott being organised against organisations who dodge tax. The authorities could do with publishing a league table before that gets off the ground.

For my part, I will never make a purchase from Starbucks again.

I made the exact same vow after they poisoned me a few years ago.

[Futtocks]

Only two things worth buying at Starbucks - those caramel wafer thingies (which you can buy elsewhere anyway) and their coffee grinders, which are the cheapest I've seen on sale anywhere.