MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Whilst listening to the Boris Johnson on the radio this morning I got the impression he was promising to support the relief and rebuilding of the hurricane hit Carribbean islands with British tax money.
I might have it wrong but I thought the main reason for these outposts existence was to limit rich people's tax liabilities.
This sticks in my craw.
Probably wasn't the bank that got the roof blown off though.
Doubt the guy I seen on the news last night standing tearful in the ruins of his shack was a corporate tax lawyer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-latin-america-41222864/i-ve-lost-everything
Mine too. But then tax havens are a speciality of this government and it financiers so it would be no supprise if we are expected to fund their rebuilding. Afterall you cant expect them to set tax receipts high enough to fund it themselves.
Tax dodgers don't actually keep money or assets on these islands. Often its just a PO box address for tax convenience, or maybe a small satellite office with a small number of local staff posted there who don't actually do anything, and all the tax dodging is done elsewhere by other financial institutions all over the world. The poor people who live on the island are the ones who have had their homes and livelihoods blown away.
Is it not all part of being a British Overseas Territory? As part of the deal the UK will defend them against aggression and disaster.
These places would not exist if there was no economical or strategic advantage to the UK. I have a strong feeling this may manifest itself as a nice place to set up companies to allow our government to conduct arms deals or other such activities that cannot be conducted through a UK based system. This is not based on any facts just my belief that all UK governments are generally pretty shady when it comes to certain things...
These places would not exist if there was no economical or strategic advantage to the UK
The place would still exist. The local indigenous population would probably still be there too (with some tourist income as well) but they would perhaps be even worse off.
i'm pretty sure boris said it was a priority to help get the banking system up and running on R4 this morning.
But then tax havens are a speciality of this government
😯
I think you'll find they have been around a hell of a lot longer than "this" government. Number of indivudals declaring non-dom tax status exploded under Blair. Just sayin'
Islands (some) have special tax status to try and encourage some business / revenue to go their way. Otherwise it's just tourism. Thes places do need our help financially
Seeing as our slave trade was responsible for most of those places being populated in the first place, I'd say we had a pretty large moral obligation to help out (aside from the legal duty).
Can't we just levy an eye-watering tax on the crooks who use these places as tax [s]dodges[/s] havens?
It would have a nice symmetry to it, but I suspect the main users have friends in high places and don't actually care very much about the locals.....
Most of the local population aren't exactly rolling in it, nor are most of the governments of the carribean islands. That a few individuals get rich by schemes which involve having an office there doesn't really impact on most of the people that live there.
Some islands will be rebuilt with charity, or with nothing.
Can't we just levy an eye-watering tax on the crooks who use these places as tax dodges havens?
Progress is being made, but it's pretty slow. Switzerland is now on side thanks to those EU bastards we want rid of, countries we aren't as close to will take longer. The problem is finding out who actually holds money there. If you know, it is taxable.