Should billionaires and multinationals pay fair tax?

[JohnD]

Just like the rest of us common little people?

Or should the tax laws be constructed so they can hide it in tax havens? They're not contributing to our public services.

If a company that doesn't pay tax in, say, the UK, has a warehouse fire, should they expect our taxpayer-funded fire service to put it out? Or should they phone Panama and ask for a boat to be sent?

If the owner of the Daily Wail gets burgled, should he get help from the British police?

Is Richard Branson entitled to use our street lamps, or should he run a cable back to the Virgin Islands?

If Murdoch has a stroke and falls over in the street, should he get one of our ambulances?

 

[Notch7]

They have worked very hard for their money, why should they pay any tax?

 

[SirGalahad]

We need a simpler tax system that is harder to avoid - where taxes are paid where they are acrrued not where they can be sent via transfer payments.

 

[Ihavenojob]

If the owner of the Daily Wail gets burgled, should he get help from the British police?

If an unemployed single mum on benefits gets burgled, should she get help from the British police?

If Murdoch has a stroke and falls over in the street, should he get one of our ambulances?

If an illegal immigrant has a stroke and falls over in the street, should he/she get one of our ambulances?
At least the millionaires have paid into our tax system at some point, or created jobs which then earns more tax for the country.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Even when they are avoiding as much tax as they can they usually still end up with a tax bill that is larger than yours. The employees pay income tax and its products and services have VAT on top. A warehouse doesn't use the roads or schools or hospitals; a fire (very rare) is pretty much the only reasons public money might ever be spent on it.

 

[Notch7]

If a company that doesn't pay tax in, say, the UK, has a warehouse fire, should they expect our taxpayer-funded fire service to put it out? Or should they phone Panama and ask for a boat to be sent?

A warehouse would be paying business rates, so it would be paying for its services (of which it gets almost none).

If that business did not exist then the local authority would receive less income.

Fire service is funded part local and part national I believe.

 

[SirGalahad]

Even when they are avoiding as much tax as they can they usually still end up with a tax bill that is larger than yours. The employees pay income tax and its products and services have VAT on top. A warehouse doesn't use the roads or schools or hospitals; a fire (very rare) is pretty much the only reasons public money might ever be spent on it.

Corporate Tax rates are lower than personal tax rates.

So we should be glad that MNC employees pay income tax like everyone else?

Your point re Warehouse is nonsense. Do people work in this warehouse? Do vehicles come to this warehouse?

You like viewing things in a bubble?

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Corporate Tax rates are lower than personal tax rates.

Yep. Corporations aren't people. Neither are warehouses. So what's the problem?

Do people work in this warehouse? Do vehicles come to this warehouse?

You mean, like, people who pay tax and vehicle excise duty?

 

[JohnD]

now here's a thing.

Let's suppose Pluminabox UK Ltd operates that warehouse. They do £1Billion of business in the UK every year, make £200Million profit out of their UK customers, and pay £40million UK corporation tax. That's OK.

Next to it is a warehouse operated by Mississippi. They do £1Billion of business in the UK every year, make £200Million profit out of their UK customers, and pay £0 UK corporation tax. That's not OK.

Not only does the nation not benefit, the UK company is undercut by its tax dodging competitor, and goes bust, throwing out of work its forklift drivers, warehousemen, office workers and security guards, and the man who mows the grass.

Are you OK with plumbers, shops and electricity companies registering their companies in tax havens and paying no tax? And the plasterer who declares himself to be of Icelandic origin and an income tax non-dom, even though he, his parents and his grandparents were all born, raised and educated in Britain and have houses and businesses here?

 

[SirGalahad]

Yep. Corporations aren't people. Neither are warehouses. So what's the problem?


You mean, like, people who pay tax and vehicle excise duty?

Do you even know what being incorporated means? You have absolutely no idea. Go read about it. Corporations are a legal entity that can be sued, enter into agreements like people etc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood

 

[securespark]

The system should be equal and fair.

 

[JohnD]

Unlike Amazon, Google and Apple's arrangements, for example.

 

[noseall]

A warehouse doesn't use the roads .

Amazon relies on road infrastructure.

 

[motorbiking]

I agree with JohnD everyone should pay the same tax. Rich or poor. Every pound you earn should be subject to the same tax.

Shall we say 20p in the £1? corporate, road digger, footballer.

that seems fair.

 

[^woody^]

Take out millionaire, billionaire, owner of daily mail, company, Branson and Murdoch and substitute with "expat" living in (pick country of your choice) who are not contributing to our public services either, and then see what the answers would be.