Should Government be setting example regarding Tax Avoidance

spen666

VTech wrote:

....


Im not knocking politicians, I just think that on the whole, we need to be transparent in the way we all act, .....

Would that include being transparent about who did the act you are complaining about.

To blame the current government for the actions of a party not in government is not being very transparent is it?

GiantMike

spen666 wrote:

However, its a bit wrong to slate the government for the actions of a different political party

Moot point. Millishambles criticises big corps for tax avoidance. He is a potential PM.

He's also a devious self-serving sh!t, like most MPs, whether in the Govt or not.

daviesee

VTech wrote:

Telling someone they should t do something then doing it yourself isnt subjective.

That would be hypocritical. As I said in my post on page 1.
Telling someone they shouldn't do something then doing something legally similar may be morally wrong but morally wrong to whom? Certainly not the people doing it.

pipipi

I think everyone pays as little (tax) as possible.

I got a bike through C2W, and I imagine the tabloids would scream this was a tax dodge!

If I take advantage of a BOGOF is that some kind of money saving dodge?

I think that it is only common sense to use a LEGAL method of saving money. If our politicians are doing it then fine, if it is transparent and legal. I would be more worried that they weren't trying to save money!

I'm more concerned by the way the money seems to arrive from lobbyists with agendas, and then the politician dances to their tune. I appreciate everyone has bias and has different experiences to bring to the political job. Just worried that their seems to be ways around the obvious solution of having a list of everyone you meet in your job.

VTech

I have to say that this forum never ceases to amaze me.
Im shocked that the common opinion is that this is fine behaviour, being legal and above board and even though these same politicians are quick to degrade hard working people who use similar schemes or loopholes to avoid tax just to get political points.
Of course I have no option but to go with the populous vote and that is that avoiding tax whilst telling others not too do the same is fine by the great british people. Maybe when more hospitals, police stations, schools have huge cutbacks through lack of tax we can revue the choices made ?

pipipi

If it's legal then there isn't much we can do. I would agree that it certainly doesn't seem very moral though! I'm not happy about it.

Perhaps the thing to do is to close these loopholes, but then someone will find another loophole. Like making bonusses illegal, so people get given two salaries instead. And if we tighten up all the loopholes, perhaps some of the finance sector will go abroad and we will lose ALL the tax.

But I was just trying to say that it isn't just politicians who try and save money. I had a similar conversation with a guy down the pub a few months ago about bankers bonuses and he was upset that they didn't pay their taxes etc. Then puffed away on his illegal cigarettes (from abroad) and told me about some pirate DVDs I could borrow. Everyone has their own agenda! Admittedly, a few fags is different to a few billions, but the point is human nature...