Arctic Monkeys Tax Avoidance

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

While I agree with the principle of your second para, the first is utter bullshit.

Woolworths was unprofitable and unsustainable as unprofitable.

Nothing of that applies to any of Vodafone Starbucks Google Boots Apple Amazon.

[russycarps]

But take Amazon for example. If it suddenly started paying the correct amount of tax, the profit margins would drop drastically, meaning an increase in product prices & the free delivery service it offers would most likely become unsustainable. As a result the public (a lot of whom hypocritically moaned about the tax avoidance) would complain & seek a cheaper alternative, who in turn would probably be avoiding paying the 'right' amount of tax in order to undercut their competitors.

Capitalism at its finest.

[eFestivals]

But take Amazon for example. If it suddenly started paying the correct amount of tax, the profit margins would drop drastically

not true, not in the slightest. You think that's the case because you don't understand tax or accounting, as it's worked in today's world.

(that's not me agreeing with it btw).

The reason Amazon pays no taxes on its trading profit is because all that trading profit is re-invested in the company (new warehouses, etc). In theory, at some point down the line Amazon will stop expanding, and then mega-tax will flow into the relevant treasuries.

Unfortunately, there's a million different ways that Amazon will make sure the tax that is due will never flow into the relevant treasuries, in exactly the same that Apple have managed.

Apple now owes so much tax on 'hidden' revenue if it were to be repatriated to the USA that they're now in the position to openly try and blackmail the US govt over it.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

No it just means the dividend would be smaller

[powerp]

There is no fucking way I would pay more tax than I needed to. If its not illegal, its fair game. I will deal with the moralities of the situation myself.

[dentalplan]

There is no fucking way I would pay more tax than I needed to. If its not illegal, its fair game. I will deal with the moralities of the situation myself.

Edited July 9, 2014 by dentalplan

[Bonedaddy]

Legal it might be. Moral it is not.

[Bonedaddy]

Tip of the iceberg. You make a profit in this country from people in this country you pay tax in this country. Why can't it be this simple. Just imagine if Vodafone Starbucks Google Boots Apple Amazon to name a few all paid tax at the level it is in this country austerity wouldn't have happened and numerous unions including my own wouldn't need to strike on Thursday

Edited July 10, 2014 by Bonedaddy

[Amy Lawn]

Ever bought (illegal) drugs (without paying tax)?

[blackchopper]

Thing is if we had a shit load of cash would you still be happy paying a shit load of tax ?????? Well me for one would be happy to pay as little as i could get away with !

[Amy Lawn]

Well you're a greedy motherfucker, aren't you? Nobody likes paying tax, but those with a sense of their surroundings instead of selfish thoughts about how much the miserable little tax man is taking from you, will recognise that taxation is a necessity and everybody should take the weight they are able to carry. I know this is all completely theoretical, but I reckon if I was pulling £40k or more a year after tax, then I could never complain about how much was being taken from me, there's more than enough there for a person to live a very very comfortable life (obviously that changes if you have a load of dependents).

[neilloggie]

Don't blame them. The government will only spend the cash on illegal wars. Better off not paying the tax and give some to charity. Was this article in the Daily Mail?

[jonodillieono]

Thing is if we had a shit load of cash would you still be happy paying a shit load of tax ?????? Well me for one would be happy to pay as little as i could get away with !

[Scotdy]

You wouldn't use the police??? Who the fuck would investigate if your wife got murdered.

You'd still get OAP fuel allowance.

And you wouldn't use the NHS? So if you were in a bad RTA, your own private ambulance would arrive just for you would it? And the rubbish state paramedics should be told to leave you to bleed to death while you wait for Dr Quinn to arrive to save your life?

And just cos you wouldn't use them, it's ok for schools to get even worse for those that can't afford public schools is it just cos you're too selfish to pay your taxes? Jesus wept!

[Scotdy]

Its not just services like that, you have roads, street lights, pavements, refuse collectors and more, all of which make it very hard to live our daily lives without. Everyone should pay tax as we all use some form of public money, some more than others, but for us to pay the exact amount we use would mean a very expensive complex system which would mean we would have to pay more.

[russycarps]

It should be pay as you go. I don't use the NHS but I still have to pay for it, and it gets on my nerves to be honest. If the queen had a RTA should she not receive treatment because she dosent pay tax? If you had that much money your family would be protected by a company that in theory would pay tax if the police were needed. Why should I pay for a failing school system if I am not using the service? Why should I pay for the likes of white dee to kick back while I'm busting my balls to earn? The Stones left the UK because they were paying 98% tax. That's £200 they had for every £10,000 earned!!

Edited July 9, 2014 by russycarps

[Ruwise]

It should be pay as you go. I don't use the NHS but I still have to pay for it, and it gets on my nerves to be honest. If the queen had a RTA should she not receive treatment because she dosent pay tax? If you had that much money your family would be protected by a company that in theory would pay tax if the police were needed. Why should I pay for a failing school system if I am not using the service? Why should I pay for the likes of white dee to kick back while I'm busting my balls to earn? The Stones left the UK because they were paying 98% tax. That's £200 they had for every £10,000 earned!!

[wbarenno]

I bet there wont be a protest like what happened for u2 the next time the monkeys play. One rule for one and one rule for the biggest band in the world

[fur_q]

I pay council tax for bin collecting and street lighting. I pay road tax for the upkeep of the streets. These are services that I use so I pay for them. I have a say in this and it's not forced from my wages to give to they likes of India, Kenya, just for them to piss against the wall having a good time.

[balti-pie]

"It gets on my nerves to have to pay for the NHS"

Either you've got the fishing rod out, or you're a massive twat. It annoys you to contribute to saving other people's lives, and to the existence of a public body which is able to help you if you need it, physically and mentally.

Ok, I'm biased, I work for the NHS. but we save lives every day. They're your neighbours, your friends, your relatives.

[wilko8]

Yeah, because it's nothing to do with rich politicians writing the rules that HMRC works to to benefit the rich, or anything.

It's not like the staff have been decimated, and the chances of your tax affairs being investigated is once in a thousand years or anything (up from once in 143 years less than 15 years ago).

Or that the rich now decide for themselves how much tax they pay, as caused by the way the govt have HMRC working as suggested by those w*nker accountancy firms.

[fur_q]

On a related note I read this today.

As people get richer, they are more likely to feel entitled, to exploit others, and to cheat. That extends to politics too

[Scotdy]

"It gets on my nerves to have to pay for the NHS"

Either you've got the fishing rod out, or you're a massive twat. It annoys you to contribute to saving other people's lives, and to the existence of a public body which is able to help you if you need it, physically and mentally.

Ok, I'm biased, I work for the NHS. but we save lives every day. They're your neighbours, your friends, your relatives.

[ivan]

Apple has $206 billion of dollars in accounts outside of the US.

As I understand it they are trying to negotiate with the US Government on how to bring it back into the United States without having to pay the full appropriate tax on it.

They do not want to keep it all abroad for obvious reasons but neither do they want to lose maybe

20% of $206 billion ( according to Bloomberg )

[eFestivals]

I bet there wont be a protest like what happened for u2 the next time the monkeys play. One rule for one and one rule for the biggest band in the world

And that different rule is that one of those bands goes around preaching about how the world should be a better place whilst fucking over the chances to try and make it better.

FFS.