Facebook to pay millions of pounds more in UK tax

[JohnD]

About time too.

Let's nail those cheating crooks at Starbucks and Amazon next.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35724308
We, the nations and citizens, need to combine together to harmonise our tax laws to prevent the huge multinationals playing us off against each other. If only there was some way of getting together and doing that....


See also
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b071whgb
"Global firms like Amazon, Google and Starbucks have been criticised for using clever accounting tricks to reduce their tax bills in the UK. But how much tax should they be paying? Evan Davis and guests discuss the whys and wherefores of the international tax regime, including the role of tax havens. Along the way, they'll digest the "Dutch sandwich" and the "double Irish" tax avoidance devices used by some multinationals. And given the widespread perception that many firms don't pay their fair share of tax, they'll assess efforts by the world's major economies to rewrite the rules on corporate tax."

 

[^woody^]

Let's nail those cheating crooks at Starbucks and Amazon next.

How are they cheating when they have paid the amounts demanded by HMRC

Surely if they were "cheating crooks" and evading tax then that is serious and the Government would prosecute?

Why should a company, or an individual pay more tax than is required by law? Why should anyone else even think that they should?

Lol at "Let's nail ...". Shall I bring a pitchfork or just a burning torch?

 

[JohnD]

A multi-billion corporation, making heaps of money in the UK, with sales, customers and offices here, that pays less tax than you or I do, has got away with it because our tax regulations allowed them to pay tax only if they felt like it.

By improving our regulations they have had to agree to pay more.

That's what I mean by "nail"

Funnelling imaginary money around between UK, Ireland, Holland, Luxembourg and little tax islands to avoid paying tax on billions of profits and turnover is a result of the countries involved letting them get away with it.

 

[Himaginn]

If only there was some way of getting together and doing that....

You mean something like this

Multinational companies would be forced to publish a country-specific breakdown of the profits they make and the taxes they pay under plans being prepared by Brussels to counter tax avoidance.
According to EU officials, the European Commission is preparing a draft law to extend to other sectors a version of a set of rules that already exist for banks and the extractive industries.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1797650-ce7c-11e5-831d-09f7778e7377.html#axzz41vgHz9EH

Which UK is opposing:

Britain will reject plans announced in Brussels this week to combat industrial-scale tax avoidance by the world’s biggest multinationals, the Treasury minister responsible for tax policy has said.
David Gauke, financial secretary to the Treasury, told representatives from the European parliament that Britain would not adopt the measures to introduce certain common tax rules. “He was very clear that the UK is insisting on tax competition,” said German MEP Michael Theurer, who met with the UK treasury minister on Thursday. “It was really a shock from the minister.”

Because UK prefers to lose out on tax in an attempt to compete for it!

Another example of competition resulting in net loss, instead of cooperation resulting in net gain.

 

[JohnD]

Looking on the bright side, if the anti-Europe campaigners get their way, the UK will lose its voice in the EU and be unable to block such legislation, but will be obliged to obey it anyway. Like Switzerland can't afford to disobey EU tax rules.

 

[EFLImpudence]

A multi-billion corporation, making heaps of money in the UK, with sales, customers and offices here, that pays less tax than you or I do, has got away with it because our tax regulations allowed them to pay tax only if they felt like it.

That's why the tax regulations are as they are - so they can do this.

By improving our regulations they have had to agree to pay more.

The tax regulations are as they are - so they can do this.

That's what I mean by "nail"

They have done nothing wrong (illegal); why should they be "nailed"?

Funnelling imaginary money around between UK, Ireland, Holland, Luxembourg and little tax islands to avoid paying tax on billions of profits and turnover is a result of the countries involved letting them get away with it.

The tax regulations are as they are so that the wealthy can do this.

It is not an accident nor oversight.

 

[JohnD]

The tax regulations are as they are so that the wealthy can do this.

Some of us tax-paying citizens who can vote in our own country and for MEPs look forward to a change.

 

[Himaginn]

The tax regulations are as they are so that the wealthy can do this.

Some of us tax-paying citizens who can vote in our own country and for MEPs look forward to a change.

Sadly, though, John, if we're saddled with a Ukip MEP, they probably won't bother turning up for EU Parliament votes. Mind you, according to PBC, EU Parliament is irrelevant.

Ukip’s MEPs turn up to fewer voters in the European Parliament than any other party in Europe, according to new figures.
Researchers at VoteWatch Europe say Ukip’s representatives only participated in 62.3 per cent of votes in the European Parliament, by far the worst record of any party.
No other political party in all of the EU’s 28 countries had a participation rate below 70 per cent.
They were over 15 per cent lazier than the next least attentive party, Die Linke, from Germany, who attended 78 per cent.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...y-party-in-the-eus-28-countries-10316962.html
But if they do turn up, they'll take a perverse approach of voting against EU proposals even if they're morally justified:

Six out of the 14 votes in the European parliament against combating the illegal ivory trade came from Ukip – including Nigel Farage. This is morally repugnant. Perhaps they voted that way because they oppose forcing Western cultural values on African countries, but I doubt it.
Expect Ukip to explain that they always vote against anything that expands EU power. As a passionate anti-EU conservative, I appreciate that stance. But when it comes to taking action against something as squalid as the ivory trade, even this rabid patriot would compromise my anti-EU principles. What next? Refusing to uphold a ban on child labour?

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/t...ote-against-fighting-the-illegal-ivory-trade/

 

[JohnD]

Well, at least if UKIP don't turn up, they won't be claiming pay and allowances.

Right?

(edit: that was a joke, obviously)

 

[Himaginn]

Well, at least if UKIP don't turn up, they won't be claiming pay and allowances.

Right?

(edit: that was a joke, obviously)

How dare you accuse Ukip MEPs of claiming pay and allowances for doing next to nowt!!!!
You'll be accusing them of employing non-UK labour next!
And that isn't a joke!

A newly-elected Ukip MEP has admitted his businesses employed “dozens” of workers from eastern Europe and the Philippines who were kept in “bunkhouses”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ants-and-kept-them-in-bunkhouses-9485018.html

Going back to the previous comment:

This is not the first time Mr Gill has been accused of apparent hypocrisy. In an ITV debate in the run-up to the European elections he said that the poll was “not necessarily about sending people over to Brussels who are going to have a 100 per cent attendance record”.

His fellow MEP candidates questioned whether the people of Wales would be very happy that Ukip was saying: “Please vote for us – but we aren’t going to represent you.”

 

[JohnD]

Immigrants are needed to do the things Brits won't.

Farrage married an immigrant woman.

 

[Himaginn]

Immigrants are needed to do the things Brits won't.

Farrage married an immigrant woman.

That's not fair. Apparently there were more than 750 applicants for the job, most of them UK nationals......... not for being his wife!

She's paid £27,000 by EU Parliament as well, for writing his emails for him 'cos he's computer illiterate!
As an ex-government bond trader, she's eminently more qualified and experience as a PA than all those 750 PA applicants.

And anyway, she's an economic migrant.

 

[PBC_1966]

Argue about whether you think the tax legislation as it stands is fair or not, but you can't blame big companies for using the legislation to their financial advantage.

If, for example, you lived alone would you feel it "wrong" to take advantage of the 25% single-person council tax reduction which is in the regulations, and just pay the full amount instead?

 

[fender]

Immigrants are needed to do the things Brits won't.

Farrage married an immigrant woman.

Below the belt, but kinda funny....

There you go John, someone thought you were funny once. Take a bow........

 

[EFLImpudence]

Argue about whether you think the tax legislation as it stands is fair or not,

It's not intended to be fair.