A Good Reason To Avoid Facebook
I do anyway, but their tax position, seems to be in line with Starbucks, Amazon and Google according to this report.
In fact, it’s rapidly getting to the point, where using a large company reduces tax revenues. Although, it does seem that American companies are the best at finding ways of avoiding paying tax. Or should that be worst?
If you think I’m being sanctimonious here, I once paid a tax bill of £3,500,000. If you don’t believe me, I have the cheque on the wall to prove it. I could have avoided the tax bill, by going to live in Monaco or somewhere equally boring for a few years. But then this country has so many good things, that I’d miss.
Revenue And Customs Are Watching You!
This advert was on the Stansted Express.
Revenue And Customs Are Watching You!
Do people take note?
How Can Governments Be So Stupid?
This story of how the French government has forced Gerard Depardieu to become a tax exile has been repeated through the years in many countries and it always ends up with less money being collected, the brightest and the best leaving and job losses. Usually too, you find out later that those politicians behind it, have made provisions to hide their income.
Every country needs to find ways of keeping all of their best people at home. But of course only by using totally fair and humane methods.
So how can they do this?
Obviously low personal taxes do help. And I don’t just mean income taxes, but capital gains ones as well. After all, many people who create one fortune, have a record of going on to create another, which means further employment and tax revenues from all places. But then there are people who don’t believe that if you lower taxes you raise more money! You may not, but if you frame the rules right and cut down on tax avoidance, you should get an increase.
Quality of life is also important. I live in London and I have a very good quality of life. I live fairly cheaply and get all my healthcare free. I even get all of my local public transport free. Obviously, others have other priorities, but as in France, most people can find a good lifestyle to suit their pocket.
So I think, that governments should probably concentrate on getting the basics of life right for its inhabitants. That means a good basic services, like education, police, fire and refuse collection and a health service that works for all.
Governments must also create opportunities for all levels. At the bottom, they put all sorts of administrative barriers in the way of the unemployed in getting well-paid work. If say I wanted to employ an eighteen-year-old to help me sort out this house, the barriers would be immense. So consequently, when I do, it’ll probably be a friend’s son and cash-in-hand. At the top level, governments always give out contracts to their friends. How many computer contracts have been let to companies, who’ve failed before?
Napoleon once said that Britain is a nation of shopkeepers. He was wrong in that, we’re probably a nation of entrepreneurs. We all seem to want to be our own boss. And what’s wrong with that? Nothing in the eye of most of us, but to some politicians it’s anathema.
I don’t believe the French are any different, as probably are the much-maligned Pakistanis and Somalis.
So governments should just create an environment that makes us all want to stay here and create employment, which hopefully pays enough taxes to keep the process continuing.
France has done everyone a favour, by conducting an experiment that belongs to the past. It failed then and it will fail now.
Camden Tightens Council Tax Rules
It would appear that Camden Council are tightening the rules on Concil Tax for second and empty homes according to this BBC report.
Although, I probably wouldn’t agree with the Council on many matters, I applaud this action.
Those that are greedy and in my opinion stupid to want to live in two homes, should have to pay for the privilege.
I also think that all houses registered to companies, should pay a special surcharge on their Council Tax.
Starbucks And Glasgow Rangers
I’ve been reading about the tax avoidance measures of Starbucks over the last few days and it looks like they are doing a few things to normalise the situation, according to this article on the BBC.
This could be due to the protests and boycotts mounted by the good old British public.
Now some might think, that Glasgow Rangers have also cheated the tax man, by the use of Employee Benefit Trusts. According to this article on the BBC, the HMRC thinks so and is pursuing what they think should have been paid.
But surely the issue in both cases is fairness. Does their tax situation give Starbucks an advantage over their rivals? Many argue that it does.
And if it is true in Starbucks case, it must be true in that of Glasgow Rangers, as they can pay their players more money.
I would like to see one set of rules applied equally to all companies and individuals.
Should Starbucks Pay More Tax?
As a High Street company I would prefer that they set up a system like Waitrose has done with Community Matters, where local charities are chosen by customers to benefit from a levy on takings.
After all, Governments have a record of wasting our taxes on things that a proportion of us don’t want. We all have our pet hates and mine is probably the money government wastes on defence and computer projects.
Carluccio’s Or Starbucks?
This is a decision, I have to make every Monday morning at the Angel.
Normally, if I want a coffee early in the morning, as I’m off to the shops, I go to the cafe opposite.
But on Monday they are shut and I also generally go to the Angel to get my provisions for the first few days of the week.
So do I go to Carluccio’s or Starbucks for my pre-shopping coffee, whilst I work out what to buy.
For some time, I’ve gone to Starbucks, as it’s close to Waitrose, but recently, I’ve started to use the Carluccio’s a little further away.
Could this be because of all the publicity about Starbucks tax position in the UK?
After all, their coffee is only ten pence more, you get a comfortable seat and friendly staff, the queues are minimal and if you need to use the medical comforts, they are clean and excellent.
It will be interesting to see, how many people change their coffee habits!
Hollande Shows He’s A True Champagne Socialist!
There seems to be a big row brewing in France, as President Hollande has upped the tax on beer by a whopping 160%. He left the tax on wine and spirits alone. Read all about it, here in the Belfast Telegraph. This is the first paragraph.
France is planning heavy tax increases on beer, upsetting brewers – even in other countries.
President Francois Hollande is pushing through legislation to increase taxes on beer by 160% to help fund struggling social security programmes as France tries to lower a budget deficit hit hard by the economic crisis. The tax would affect local brews and the 30% of imported beer the French drink.
I suppose though, I’m not bothered, as I’ve never heard of a gluten-free French beer. Although, there’s some passable Belgian and Spanish ones.
Berlusconi Found Guilty
Berlusconi has been found guilty and sentenced to time in jail.
Perhaps he should serve it in a womens’ prison.
France Might Tax Energy Drinks
France seems to be planning to tax energy drinks according to reports like this, this morning.
I’ve never drunk one, but judging by the number of cans you see strewn all over place, many do.
The Anonymous Widower 