Government Tax Advisor quits

[Strokes]

Actually ive paid people cash in hand too, better deal for everyone.

[Zingari]

Actually ive paid people cash in hand too, better deal for everyone.

I'd hazard a guess we all have at some point  

[Captain...]

I wouldnt get the job if it was declared, he would just struggle on his own. Im cool with it as it doesnt affect my working tax credits, its a nice little bonus that means i can afford to treat the kids.

It doesnt matter to me that you object, i seriously doubt you would do any different in my situation. I pay the money out into the economy so it all gets taxed eventually, so thats how i justify it to MYSELF.

 

This is not a personal dig, btw, but more a general disagreement that cash in hand is ok. It really does depend on the value of the work, and yes I've done it before, when I was living in Spain I did a few private English classes the odd 20 euros undeclared here or there is not going to bankrupt the economy  , and the hassle of having to declare is a pain, but if you are regularly earning hundreds or so a week undeclared then you really should declare it, if you get caught you will be heavily fined and not have a leg to stand on.

[Zingari]

This is not a personal dig, btw, but more a general disagreement that cash in hand is ok. It really does depend on the value of the work, and yes I've done it before, when I was living in Spain I did a few private English classes the odd 20 euros undeclared here or there is not going to bankrupt the economy  , and the hassle of having to declare is a pain, but if you are regularly earning hundreds or so a week undeclared then you really should declare it, if you get caught you will be heavily fined and not have a leg to stand on.

blimey the courts are dishing out tough punishments these days 

[Orkneyfox]

This is not a personal dig, btw, but more a general disagreement that cash in hand is ok. It really does depend on the value of the work, and yes I've done it before, when I was living in Spain I did a few private English classes the odd 20 euros undeclared here or there is not going to bankrupt the economy  , and the hassle of having to declare is a pain, but if you are regularly earning hundreds or so a week undeclared then you really should declare it, if you get caught you will be heavily fined and not have a leg to stand on.

You will end up having to foot the bill.....

[ADK]

It's interesting how the attitude to paying tax in this country is basically:

 

"I'll pay the minimum, the government takes too much of my money, it will be given to scroungers grumble grumble."

 

I don't know if people have the same attitude in countries with higher taxes, I know a few people who are happy to pay tax and see it as something to be proud of.

[Rincewind]

Would you say it's OK for someone on part time to do the odd jIf found out they would have any benefits stopped and maybe fined. Yet a high fly businessman has advisers telling him how he can move his money abroad so not to pay tax set down by law. Is one worse than the other? they are both defrauding. One maybe doing it so he can feed his kids for one more day the other so he can have an extra champagne dinner. And its the hard working man like the TPH's that pay the cost. If you are going to stop swindling at the bottom you have to also stop it at the top. There is only so much you can take off someone who has little to start with before it starts to affect the ones a bit further up the ladder who are stuck in the middle. Because they will be the next in line to be targeted.

This has become apparent in the last few months with wages in real terms compared to prices going down.

[ADK]

Would you say it's OK for someone on part time to do the odd jIf found out they would have any benefits stopped and maybe fined. Yet a high fly businessman has advisers telling him how he can move his money abroad so not to pay tax set down by law. Is one worse than the other? they are both defrauding. One maybe doing it so he can feed his kids for one more day the other so he can have an extra champagne dinner. And its the hard working man like the TPH's that pay the cost. If you are going to stop swindling at the bottom you have to also stop it at the top. There is only so much you can take off someone who has little to start with before it starts to affect the ones a bit further up the ladder who are stuck in the middle. Because they will be the next in line to be targeted.

This has become apparent in the last few months with wages in real terms compared to prices going down.

 

There is a difference between defrauding and doing something that is legal though. A businessman will make sure he is paying as little tax as possible because business is competitive and he can't afford to pay more money than he is legally required to do.

 

A similar example would be someone being advised about the benefits they can claim, are they defrauding the government by claiming benefits they are entitled to?

[Zingari]

There is a difference between defrauding and doing something that is legal though. A businessman will make sure he is paying as little tax as possible because business is competitive and he can't afford to pay more money than he is legally required to do.

 

A similar example would be someone being advised about the benefits they can claim, are they defrauding the government by claiming benefits they are entitled to?

I  don't think the problem lies with ordinary taxpayers just getting the best deal out of the present system. I think it's more to do with offshore accounts etc .

[Captain...]

I  don't think the problem lies with ordinary taxpayers just getting the best deal out of the present system. I think it's more to do with offshore accounts etc .

 

The problem is that offshore accounts in tax havens are legal, Strokes saving a couple of quid on undeclared earnings isn't, but the hmrc would rather go after the little guys like Strokes or TPH than tackle the big boys. If all earnings in this country were properly taxed we wouldn't have this huge deficit and massive debt, but, as ADK says, the culture in this country is to take as much from the state as you can and give as little back as possible, is it then any wonder that we find ourselves having to make cuts in essential services.

[Zingari]

The problem is that offshore accounts in tax havens are legal, Strokes saving a couple of quid on undeclared earnings isn't, but the hmrc would rather go after the little guys like Strokes or TPH than tackle the big boys. If all earnings in this country were properly taxed we wouldn't have this huge deficit and massive debt, but, as ADK says, the culture in this country is to take as much from the state as you can and give as little back as possible, is it then any wonder that we find ourselves having to make cuts in essential services.

Yes you're quite right they are legal and the government ( all shades) keep making all the right noises about putting a stop to it or severely limiting it but they never seem to actually do anything. It's been going on as long as I can remember.

Occasionally a minor celebrity is outed ( such as Jimmy Carr) who gets "shamed" into paying up, but for the most part for the real big fish it's "carry on as usual"  

[Rincewind]

The trouble is the big fish have connections with some of those in government. it is far easier to go after the little guy. Those in the middle would also prefer to go after the little guy because they are afraid it could be them next if they don't.

What would stop the offshore banking is if the unemployed, low paid, part time, and no contract workers started to invest their benefits into offshore accounts and buying villas in the Seychelles..

The government would soon find a way to outlaw it.

[Guest]

The trouble is the big fish have connections with some of those in government. it is far easier to go after the little guy. Those in the middle would also prefer to go after the little guy because they are afraid it could be them next if they don't.

What would stop the offshore banking is if the unemployed, low paid, part time, and no contract workers started to invest their benefits into offshore accounts and buying villas in the Seychelles..

The government would soon find a way to outlaw it.

 

Perhaps a simplification of the tax code to a flat rate and banning avoidance and evasion altogether?

[Rincewind]

Perhaps a simplification of the tax code to a flat rate and banning avoidance and evasion altogether?

that is too simple for a chancellor.

[Webbo]

that is too simple for a chancellor.

You're in favour of a flat tax?

[leicsmac]

Perhaps a simplification of the tax code to a flat rate and banning avoidance and evasion altogether?

 

This would be the Poll Tax all over again - no thanks.

 

Keep the tax rates as they are but work harder to close the loopholes on the significant avoidance by the big guns.

[Rincewind]

You're in favour of a flat tax?

I'm in favour of fairness but the only problem with that everyones view of fairness is according to heir own needs.

 

Like it's been said close the loopholes that allows tax avoidance at all levels.

[The God Emperor]

you'll never close the loopholes, our complicated and not particularly transparent tax system makes it very easy for the super rich to abuse it. I highly doubt that stopping all avoidance would do anything to reduce the deficit with our ponzi scheme welfare state and more tax revenue would mean that the government would just spend more regardless of deficit (that's the next blokes/unborn generations problem). 

[Bryn]

I think sometimes people forget that taxes aren't a punitive matter, and that in return they get free healthcare, roads, schools, leisure facilities, street cleaners, waste removal and many other things.

 

They should just scrap tax altogether and see how much people enjoy paying ALL of their wages on these things individually.

[The God Emperor]

I think sometimes people forget that taxes aren't a punitive matter, and that in return they get free healthcare, roads, schools, leisure facilities, street cleaners, waste removal and many other things.

 

They should just scrap tax altogether and see how much people enjoy paying ALL of their wages on these things individually.

people would be happy to pay tax if it actually went on things like this. the majority of our tax goes on paying for the over bloated bureaucracy that sorts all this out. the way it works isnt simply what's payed in tax, is what is spent by the government on these ventures. our current welfare state and the NHS show this in that they operate like a ponzi scheme, the current beneficiaries are being payed by unborn investors.   

[Bryn]

people would be happy to pay tax if it actually went on things like this. the majority of our tax goes on paying for the over bloated bureaucracy that sorts all this out. the way it works isnt simply what's payed in tax, is what is spent by the government on these ventures. our current welfare state and the NHS show this in that they operate like a ponzi scheme, the current beneficiaries are being payed by unborn investors.   

 

Do you have any idea how much healthcare alone costs?

[The God Emperor]

Do you have any idea how much healthcare alone costs?

depends what your asking? how much does socialised medicine cost, as we can see by our current deficit, the amount of government borrowing and printing to cover these costs and the ponzi scheme way it is funded, too much.

private health care is expensive at the minute because a small number of people use it due to competition from the NHS behemoth. I would be in favour of fully private health industry that is competitive to reduce prices and state issued vouchers being issued to people on no or low incomes.

[MooseBreath]

I think sometimes people forget that taxes aren't a punitive matter, and that in return they get free healthcare, roads, schools, leisure facilities, street cleaners, waste removal and many other things.

They should just scrap tax altogether and see how much people enjoy paying ALL of their wages on these things individually.

Not sure why you think it would cost everyone all of their wages. Surely the overall cost of providing those services privately would be roughly the same as it costs the government to provide them. Therefore on average it would cost each individual roughly the same, only with more of a tilt towards the people who use the services being the ones who pay for it. For potentially expensive one-off costs like healthcare everyone would just get insurance like they do in the US. That's all the NHS is really - an insurance policy which we're forced into buying.

There's a lot of merit in the idea of privatising the whole lot imo

[leicsmac]

Not sure why you think it would cost everyone all of their wages. Surely the overall cost of providing those services privately would be roughly the same as it costs the government to provide them. Therefore on average it would cost each individual roughly the same, only with more of a tilt towards the people who use the services being the ones who pay for it. For potentially expensive one-off costs like healthcare everyone would just get insurance like they do in the US. That's all the NHS is really - an insurance policy which we're forced into buying.

There's a lot of merit in the idea of privatising the whole lot imo

 

Putting healthcare and the power of continued life and health at the mercy of insurance companies as it is in the US would be a massive mistake, as is shown by the quite frankly horrifying US healthcare divide as a whole.

[The God Emperor]

Putting healthcare and the power of continued life and health at the mercy of insurance companies as it is in the US would be a massive mistake, as is shown by the quite frankly horrifying US healthcare divide as a whole.

the US system is designed to prop up a cartel of big drug companies. not a system I'd like here, I'd favour a voucher system with fully privately owned health care