Tax Avoidance Is Sinful

[billybong]

Didn't he have something to say about the money lenders as well. The clergymen have recently spoken about the boomers and about taxation but what about the moneylenders. It's all getting very fire and brimstone. There must be a reference in the book somewhere about boomers? Willetts would know.

Mind you it just shows how the UK politicians have totally and utterly lost all credibility when they have to get the clergy to advocate stuff on economic policy.

Edited June 18, 2013 by billybong

[cybernoid]

Loony talks crap shocker.

Yawn

[mfp123]

arent churches tax exempt, and contributions are also tax deductible.

also i recall the church lobbying the government about exempting the Church from having to pay VAT on building repairs, which they won.

how is that not tax avoidance.

[Bloo Loo]

arent churches tax exempt, and contributions are also tax deductible.

also i recall the church lobbying the government about exempting the Church from having to pay VAT on building repairs, which they won.

how is that not tax avoidance.

its not because the Church is a Business.

[billybong]

Seeing as how they're starting to speak out on economic affairs like taxation and stuff isn't it time the CoE was given a remit on the economy like the BoE.

[mfp123]

Judge not lest ye be judged. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.....

The Church should voluntarily pay tax on all of its income given that they feel so strongly it is a moral issue not a legal one.

This is from the Church of England website regarding gift aid:

PCCs are legal charities and, as such, are exempt from income tax. The tax which has been paid on the giving of Church people can be recovered from the Inland Revenue. Church people should understand that this recovery of tax is not "stealing from the Government" but good stewardship of their resources.

They dont just avoid paying tax, they also take tax revenue from the government and encourage donors to give it to them. Sinful!

[Bloo Loo]

Seeing as how they're starting to speak out on economic affairs like taxation and stuff isn't it time the CoE was given a remit on the economy like the BoE.

nah,they actually OWN half the UK....they ARE the economy in many restecpas.

[South Lorne]

arent churches tax exempt, and contributions are also tax deductible.

also i recall the church lobbying the government about exempting the Church from having to pay VAT on building repairs, which they won.

how is that not tax avoidance.

..it is tax avoidance which is good management within the law....hypocrisy is not good management.....

[Rachman]

So one of Britain's largest selfsustaining businesses that is set up for tax purposes as a charity thinks that someone else should pay more tax. Presumably they also think that child buggery is wrong too, so long as it's other people that need to stop doing it.....

[erat_forte]

If they changed the rules, would 'avoided' tax then 'belong' to the government too then? Why so? It would imply that we only own what we are told we own, which means we don't own anything at all (in any meaningful sense).

Shouldn't people be defining ownership by actions and observations, rather than the whims of some higher authority? It is strange that people accept the latter so blindly.

[i see the point you are making, but taking a step back, it's all a bit daft isn't it?]

If you pretend that the law is consensual and government is consensual then you can draw the distinction I tried to make.

Really though I agree with you.

[BalancedBear]

That's all fine and well.. but it would require coordinated, international action, in the teeth of serious lobbying.

Morally, it's simply a case that the bigger companies want to do business here, take advantage of out infrastructure, rule of law, educated workers and all the other bits and pieces that make up a first world country - and cost public money - whilst not paying for these services. Whereas local competitors do, of course. Not only is this palpably unfair, but it's also unsustainable - the shrinkage of the tax base leading to chronic government deficits, leading to cuts in spending and hence demand.

I would think that most companies, even the likes of google employing people here in the UK are more than paying their way.

Until such times the government cuts its wasteful spending as highlighted here, I would rather less tax was paid:

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/2013/06/bumper-book-government-waste-exposes-120-billion-wasteful-spending-4500-household-uk.html

[South Lorne]

I would think that most companies, even the likes of google employing people here in the UK are more than paying their way.

Until such times the government cuts its wasteful spending as highlighted here, I would rather less tax was paid:

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/home/2013/06/bumper-book-government-waste-exposes-120-billion-wasteful-spending-4500-household-uk.html

...well...well ...when public sector earning packages exceed in general those in the private sector ...you know you are entering the so called 'third world' in status.....we are about to go belly up ...and then keel over and drop out...

[Austin Allegro]

In my experience much of this holier than thou attitude about 'not paying tax' comes from Guardian reading types who work for the council, are taxed on PAYE and have never had any involvement in taxation other than stuffing their P60 into a drawer once a year.

As soon as your tax affairs become remotely complicated (even on an individual level, such as mine did when I moved abroad) you realise that the whole thing is a balls-up from start to finish. You get different answers from different people in different offices, letters going back and forth, the same forms being required again etc - all this for one person. Just think then what it is like for a multi national company.

The problem is that the said Guardianista types believe tax law is, or should be, set in black and white like the ten commandments, with big companies cackling with evil capitalist glee as they gaily breach clear,simple laws.

It just isn't like that. Taxation is a cat and mouse game between companies/individuals and states, where the states make up the rules as they go along to suit themselves. I don't blame any individual or corporation for trying to be tax efficient within the law - the problem is the law is just not clear sometimes.

[Bloo Loo]

So one of Britain's largest selfsustaining businesses that is set up for tax purposes as a charity thinks that someone else should pay more tax. Presumably they also think that child buggery is wrong too, so long as it's other people that need to stop doing it.....

the Queen is Head of the church.

Be careful what you are implying.

[billybong]

nah,they actually OWN half the UK....they ARE the economy in many restecpas.

All the more reason for a remit to help control stuff and to formalize the position.

Edited June 19, 2013 by billybong

[goldbug9999]

In my experience much of this holier than thou attitude about 'not paying tax' comes from Guardian reading types who work for the council, are taxed on PAYE and have never had any involvement in taxation other than stuffing their P60 into a drawer once a year.

As soon as your tax affairs become remotely complicated (even on an individual level, such as mine did when I moved abroad) you realise that the whole thing is a balls-up from start to finish. You get different answers from different people in different offices, letters going back and forth, the same forms being required again etc - all this for one person. Just think then what it is like for a multi national company.

The problem is that the said Guardianista types believe tax law is, or should be, set in black and white like the ten commandments, with big companies cackling with evil capitalist glee as they gaily breach clear,simple laws.

It just isn't like that. Taxation is a cat and mouse game between companies/individuals and states, where the states make up the rules as they go along to suit themselves. I don't blame any individual or corporation for trying to be tax efficient within the law - the problem is the law is just not clear sometimes.

Indeed, the revenue collude with senior civil servants and ministers to create all these complex rules to keep themselves in jobs and then bleat like babies when the complexity is exploited in order to pay less tax.

Edited June 19, 2013 by goldbug9999