Avoiding Amazon, Apple, and Starbucks is quite easy, even Facebook for me, but Google and just about every big business there is! What is a lefty to do?

shoplift

I dont like paying tax and would happily pay less legally.

If my business didnt try to be efficent with costs I would be worried.

Shop local avoid nestle like the plague and always talk about it . The boycotts are only part of the impact the general negative publicity also has a significant impact . It will be easier for politicians to make a stand against the multinationals if public opinion clearly supports that action.

Have avoided Amazon since I first realised they were shipping from Jersey.

Would rather pay a quid more for a DVD and support a smaller business.

If my business didnt try to be efficent with costs I would be worried.

As a business owner I certainly don’t try to pay more than I have to, but I’d be worried if I could get away with paying nearly nothing.

Yes. Best thing to do is boycott companies and write to them saying why, write to your MP, also make a donation to UK Uncut

Have stopped using Amazon altogether – I always bought most books and music from local stores but I was using amazon for hard to find / out of print books but I’ve stopped

Starbucks – stopped using them years ago as coffee is so poor

Apple – that’s harder, still supporting them

Google – still using them, just making sure I never click on any ads as that’s revenue for them

Facebook – I only use on mobile devices so no ads or ad revenue

So do we all still use the German online sellers for bike stuff ? They are exploiting a VAT loophole which benefits German tax revenue and hurts the UK ?

LBS for me jambo, on principle will not use big faceless corps if it can be avoided, sure you pay a little more initially up front,but there is a much bigger picture- its not a race to the bottom.

been sticking it to Starbucks for years. In fact last week in King’s Cross me and and my 14 month old rammed it right up their tax-dodges. His nose was running, no tissues. Walked in, lifted a bunch of napkins, walked out, no purchase. Yeaaah!!!!

I went to Starbucks for the first time in ages last Friday, had a really crap cup of coffee, it was also packed with people, no seats to be had, lots of people working/having meetings.

So I doubt any small gesture of individual boycott, writing to MP etc would have any impact, given that negative reporting on accounting practices doesn’t seem to have.

I had three hours to kill so went next door to Burger King and had one of their coffees, was much much better. Burger King are ok aren’t they?

So, what are the alternatives to Amazon for books and CDs?

im trying to use http://www.fairsharemusic.com for my downloads rather than amazon or itunes

tbh i should change my vodafone contract too

I was thinking the other day that someone should produce a list of approved non tax dodging companies

Is it only tax-dodging you object to or are there other moral issues that would make you avoid certain companies?

trouble is small businesses can be just as guilty

Revenue ‘overwhelmed’ by tax avoidance

No, I see no reason to avoid them. You lot are weird.

Have avoided Amazon since I first realised they were shipping from Jersey

Not so – they have a mahoosive warehouse and shipping unit in Fife.

I have always avoided Starbucks since reading No Logo many years ago, they actively/agressivley seek to drive small business’ out of areas – frankly shame on anyone who does use them. (selling coffee is a big part of my business)

Have thought twice about Amazon but then other than their books they are more of a distribution network than “producer” as such so all the small/med business’ selling through the network are paying tax on the goods so they are not quite so bad as Starbucks IMO.

Do think that tax avoidance is a serious offence and frankly beleive that paying tax is a civic duty. (I must be Swedish or something).

Can’t avoid google at times, but don’t do FB.

list of approved non tax dodging companies

good luck with that!

I would look closer to home than just picking out US firms that are in the headlines, most Starbucks are franchises too run by UK staff.

list of approved non tax dodging companies

I’d like to know what the difference between tax dodging, avoidance and minimisation is, first.

Not so – they have a mahoosive warehouse and shipping unit in Fife.

The money seemed to be going to Jersey though.

I was vaguely aware they probably weren’t physically sending millions of parcels from the Channel Islands. They’ve got a big unit beside the M1 as well.

Why would I want to inconvenience myself by going to a local shop when I can get everything I want from Amazon et al?

Amazon Prime is the best thing ever!

I’d like to know what the difference between tax dodging, avoidance and minimisation

Dodging = not paying the taxes you are legally required to.

Avoidance = seeking loopholes to legally avoid paying the taxes you would otherwise be required to.

Minimisation = not a term that I’m aware has a commonly agreed meaning in the wonderful world of tax

The money seemed to be going to Jersey though.

iirc this was a ploy used by Amazon, Play etc to ship from Jersey to avoid (or minimise) charging vat to the customer. Seemed to apply mainly to media- cd’s, dvd’s etc. Was in the news a year or two back about closing the loophole, but not sure whether anything was done.

Hmmm, interesting question. I find that I’m getting more and more angry with deceitful companies including those who blatantly avoid paying the tax quota that they should. I am equally angry with our weak, self-serving politicians who allow this to happen.

I don’t own an Apple product and never will, why would I want to drink crap coffee at Starbucks,, very rarely use Facebook. So we’re left with Amazon and, yes, I do use them. But I will be actively looking for alternative suppliers.

Google – is there an alternative?

Yes as for those who dont and dont see why the less tax the country gets from business the more we all have to pay and we are a bit skint at the minute.

All business will try to minimise tax but does anyone actually think starbucks does not make a profit in the UK?
it may well be legal , it may well technically/legally be just avoidance but it is morally tax evasion and everyone can see this.

Whats more it harms local small business who cannot compete as their cost base is higher as they actually have to pay tax as well as compete

We had a costa than a Nero.

Correct me if I’m wrong (Quite possible) but don’t Amazon useother businesses as suppliers? As in I ordered some Wii accessories from them and they arrived from someone else?

Google – is there an alternative?

Try googling “Search Engine” and see what you get.

I trust none of you Google-boycotters are using an Android phone…

it may well be legal , it may well technically/legally be just avoidance but it is morally tax evasion and everyone can see this.

The trouble is, I find it very difficult to see where to draw the line- with extreme examples like Amazon, Starbucks etc, it’s quite clear that something’s not right.

On the other hand, we knowingly bought into this with the EU, and presumably our own businesses and hence the exchequer benefit from the cross border trade, and vat, which would otherwise be missing. Big companies have a legal and moral obligation to their shareholders as well, which incidentally, is likely to be our pension funds.

btw, I’m typing this on a laptop that I quite happily put through my company, though there’s nothing work related on it. 🙂

I have always avoided Starbucks since reading No Logo many years ago, they actively/agressivley seek to drive small business’ out of areas – frankly shame on anyone who does use them. (selling coffee is a big part of my business)

Come to Cardiff, serve better coffee than the big three in town and I’ll be there.

Can people who think Starbucks coffee is bad please post which coffee you prefer? Cos I’ve not found many widely available coffees that are better, just the odd place here and there.

Google – is there an alternative?

Of course there is. Google it. 😀

Bing, Yahoo etc

Can people who think Starbucks coffee is bad please post which coffee you prefer?

Seriously – McDonalds. That’s all we ever buy from there, coffee and ice cream both of which are very good. 🙂

Avoidance = seeking loopholes to legally avoid paying the taxes you would otherwise be required to.

I think while there is a lot of anger directed at individuals and companies that exploit these ‘loopholes’, these are schemes and processes they use are legal, exist deliberately rather than by accident and put in place by the government for a reason (even if its not the reason why the company is using/abusing it). So when we shine the light on Amazon, or Vodafone, or Jimmy Carr, or David Cameron’s Dad why do we not we not also shine the light on the the government and the HMRC and ask what is the purpose of this tax scheme that they are using or abusing is?

I am equally angry with our weak, self-serving politicians

Exactly.

I don’t use Amazon or Starbucks, but I don’t blame them for being as “tax efficient” as possible. You can’t expect a company to have a conscience.

The law just needs amending so that if you sell goods here, you pay tax on the profits of those sales here.

I’m pretty sure you could find something to object about almost every company or individual you deal with.

Presumably you are using a computer to read this? Happy with where/how all the components are made? You don’t know where they components are made? What about who made them? Whether they received a fair wage? Whether the manufacturing process is poisoning the environment?

True but just because we cannot do everything it is no reason do nothing

aye– and so called self employment in the building industry, its a way of keeping it casual and therefore cheap( for the employer)– oh who makes these rules, why the very people who it benefits…..

Stopped visiting Starbucks – shame as I am partial to a cappuccino with an extra shot.

I boycott Amazon only when things are available for the same price elsewhere. Admittedly it’s sacrificing my principles, but I don’t want to get hit in my own pocket by making what is in all likelihood a futile gesture.

The law just needs amending so that if you sell goods here, you pay tax on the profits of those sales here.

A bit difficult to do I would have thought, in light of our eu membership.
How do you think that will affect exports, if everyone does the same?

Can people who think Starbucks coffee is bad please post which coffee you prefer? Cos I’ve not found many widely available coffees that are better, just the odd place here and there.

I already did – Burger King, but for chains I would head for Nero above Starbucks and Costa.

Bar Italia on Frith St in Soho makes a pretty fine espresso 🙂