SNS

I have to say I'm struggling with this PR disaster but (but then I'm not a PR professional nor a politician). This Govt heads done more than any in my career to clamp down on tax avoidance. It's not just talk, they actually take action. What Jimmy Carr did was legal, but reprehensible to many on here and the wider public (but not me). DC was entirely consistent with his Govts stance, and the popular opinion of very many people in this Country in saying he didn't like what JC had done. If the PR disaster is that too many people in the general population are too dumb, or too entrenched in their views to understand the difference between JCs planning and DC doing no planning at all, then I truly fear for this Country

Do you actually understand any of this or just jump on popular opinion ? His mother gave him some money. If she lives for 7 years after that then no inheritance tax is due on that money when she dies. You too can do the same 'avoidance' give some of your estate away whilst alive, survive 7 years and hey presto. It can hardly be tax avoidance as no tax is ever due (providing she doesn't die in that time)

Nah someone will be along shortly indignant that he has saved Inheritance Tax on the cash his mum gave him !

Read the interview with Robert Preston. He paid tax in the UK on the income he received. No CGT on the gain as was within his annual allowance. Absolutely 100% nothing like Jimmy Carr nor Gary Barlow. And to be clear, I'm no DC fan, just an industry professional who thinks it's better to deal with the actual facts rather than political opinion

+1. And I pay even more tax !

This is becoming truly hilarious. Actually I can sell you a bomb proof tax avoidance scheme if you like - earn less money, you'll pay less tax then

Sadly that one doesn't work anymore. Diverted profits tax means a 25% charge since April last year

Many Clouds won last year and is Fav this year Last Samuri for me though plus a random outsider I shall pick on Saturday as an E/W selection

I dislike it on those shoots I hear it as I'd rather just be alert. Save for our annual woodcock trip where I think it is important to add to the pressure on my fellow guns by bellowing "woodcock" at the slightest sign of one, and sometimes even when there isn't one too just to keep them on their toes.

Top picture - thank you for sharing!

Given Googles recent agreement to pay £130m in back taxes in the UK then I take my hat off to you Sir, you sure have been paying a lot of tax. You should get yourself a decent tax adviser !

But the burden isn't evenly spread- see my earlier post. Just 300,000 or so individuals pay over 25% of all the income tax collected in the Country. As I keep trying to point out, by far and away the biggest cause of the tax gap is criminality, not tax avoidance by the rich or the large corporates

I should remind you though that PC told us some time ago of backward flying crows so maybe Lloydi was merely trying to decoy a particularly specialist type of bird ?

I'm confused. You want the Govt to stop tax avoidance. But when they seek to limit some of it, by limiting tax deductibility of pension contributions (after all paying into a pension reduces your tax bill just like all other legitimate tax planning), you are then outraged ?

Sorry to be a pedant about this, but if it was legal to hold the money offshore, and tax was accounted for pursuant to the legislation in place at the time, then how can it be dirty money ?

I know it will disappoint many on here but by far and away the largest part of the tax gap isn't down to rich tax avoiders but out and out criminality https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470540/HMRC-measuring-tax-gaps-2015-1.pdf

You can't equate them - the offshore cash is / was legal. I think you are suggesting the £5 is cash in hand and no tax declared in which case it is illegal.

Last time I checked, the 300,000 highest earners in this Country paid 25% of the total income tax for the Country. But it's always easy to bash the rich isn't it ?

Is your current accountant a member of a professional body - ICAEW or similar ? If so they have pretty clear guidelines as to what info your new accountant can request your old accountant to provide to them (as part of he Professional Clearance protocols) and I'd have thought pretty reasonable chance such workings would be included, though hard to say for sure as I don't know what they actually are !

Well she's been paying it since 1993 so probably done more than a few

Mrs SNS invited 6 children plus parents for an Easter Egg hunt yesterday. Notwithstanding that we are still awash with eggs, including a 'You Crack Me Up' she bought me from Hotel Chocolat. Am slightly regretting bringing home the spares after buying for everyone in my team at work now. I could be eating chocolate for quite some time !

Yep - did some earlier !

350 miles ? You could have come to my garden !