Wednesday, June 20, 2012

THIS IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF PRIME MINISTER CAMERON’S STUPIDITY, IT’S AN EXAMPLE OF HIS ARROGANCE.

Jimmy Carr the comedian has been keeping his money in what is described as "an aggressive tax scheme to avoid paying his dues. Tory Prime Minister David Cameron has described this as "morally wrong"


 

I'm not often stuck for words and I can't think of anything funny to say about this, can you?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think it is the place of any Minister from any party to lecture on morality, particularly in the wake of MP's expenses scandal.
The question that needs to be answered is "Was it legal?"
Tax avoidance is legal and tax evasion is illegal.
To use a famous quote from an american Judge called "Judge Learned Hand"


"Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as
possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays thetreasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes.
Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyonedoes it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands."

Taking out an ISA or premium bonds is utilising a tax avoidance scheme. How many people use these schemes?

If Jimmy Carr is utlising an aggressive tax avoidance scheme that is legal then he is doing nothing worse than anyone using schemes such as mentioned above.

If, however, it turns out that the scheme he is using is illegal, then he should be punished by the full force of the law.

Morality does not come into it.

The Govermnent has the power to change the law to make such schemes inoperable if it so chooses, however, in most instances is chooses not to for more self interested reasons.

I can't really think of anything funny to say about it either.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

"I can't really think of anything funny to say about it either"

You are far too modest I'm laughing my head off at this post.