Jimmy Carr and Tax

Seeing Cameron being interviewed I was shocked that he, as PM would target someone and name them even though the person isn’t doing anything illegal. It seemed unprofessional from someone who is supposed to be PM.

If it is illegal then I stand (sit) corrected. And if it isn’t legal I get the feeling that Mr Carr is about to get one hell of a tax bill.

Nah, I think you’ll find he’s found a different Accountant with different advice.

But since that will never happen, at least it’s nice to see that the government is focusing on the right kind of tax avoidance for once, rather than petty amounts, accidental non-payment or charitable giving.

Are you being sarcastic? Some of the worst tax avoiders are strangely also the largest contributors to the Tory party. It’s amazingly hypocritical for Cameron to criticise Carr.

Loopholes wouldn’t exist if we fundamentally changed the way that tax rules are applied. It requires a far more flexible, framework based approach which would emphasise the real nature of these arrangements rather than just clarifying the legality.

Did anyone hear Michael Meacher on Radio 4 this morning. This is his private members bill that he is presently proposing

Today I am introducing a Private Member’s Bill into the Commons which will outlaw any financial transaction for which the primary purpose is tax avoidance/evasion rather than any genuine economic purpose. It will transfer the burden of proof, from HMRC having to prove that a transaction was really a disguised tax avoidance device, to a company having to prove that it had a genuine purpose. If HMRC believed for good reasons that it was really for tax avoidance purposes, they could declare that the transaction was null and void and it would be for the company, if they so chose, to challenge that decision in court. As it happens, on this very day a new tax avoidance sceme has just surfaced which would be a perfect example for the application of my Bill.

Difficult to argue with that. Chances of it getting through? With Tory support? Now Call me Dave has discovered a social conscience on the taxation issue, and will doubtless be urging his party to do the same?

Seeing Cameron being interviewed I was shocked that he, as PM would target someone and name them even though the person isn’t doing anything illegal. It seemed unprofessional from someone who is supposed to be PM

The word you’re looking for is ‘Opportunist’. And under the dictionary definition of the word it says “See David Cameron’. The more cynical might suggest that having got all this on the front pages, today would be a good day to bury some bad news

jimmy carr has just tweeted an apology.

Binners, they want to scrap GCSE’s. This maybe?

Difficult to argue with that. Chances of it getting through? With Tory support? Now Call me Dave has discovered a social conscience on the taxation issue, and will doubtless be urging his party to do the same?

Regulation to mitigate some of the worst anti-social excesses of capitalism? Are you mad?

toppers3933 – Member
Binners, they want to scrap GCSE’s. This maybe?

Don’t think they bothered to look at the content, they just knew Gove had another brilliant idea.

Binners, they want to scrap GCSE’s. This maybe?

Absolutely not. The return of O levels (which the Tories scrapped) will be accompanied with much fanfare, and hopefully front page media coverage, as the Tories revel at being portrayed as the party committed to educational excellence.

jimmy carr has just tweeted an apology.

Aren’t we supposed to now critisise him for making a U-turn? 😉

Aren’t we supposed to now critisise him for making a U-turn?

when he gets past 30

Aren’t we supposed to now critisise him for making a U-turn?

Yeah go on then.

Why are you pretending that Jimmy Carr is a politician and that terms such as “U turn” applies to him ?

Can’t get your teeth into the Labour Party Z-11 ?

Don’t think they bothered to look at the content, they just knew Gove had another brilliant idea.

They’re all full of brilliant ideas. Due, no doubt, to their collectively eye-wateringly expensive educations

Andrew Lansley
George Osbourne
Pob himself
Our Glorious Leader *doffs cap*

I’m glad the NHS, the economy, our education system, and indeed the whole nation are safe in their capable hands

allthepies – Member

But while it remains unplugged you’re quite happy for people to use schemes like K2 to exploit it ?

If they are legal, but morally objectionable, how is this to be policed?

Whenever some paper editor wants to get at someone like Carr and the PM then jumps in? The significant tax avoiders are the ultra rich – most likely tory supporters. You think cameron will go after them wholesale? Dream on.

The only way to stop this is to legislate or reform the taxation system.

Why are you pretending that Jimmy Carr is a politician and that terms such as “U turn” applies to him ?

He isn’t, is he? He’s a comedian that tells jokes.
Are you now saying that the term “U turn” can only be applied to politicians? This is just too confusing.

Today I am introducing a Private Member’s Bill into the Commons which will outlaw any financial transaction for which the primary purpose is tax avoidance/evasion rather than any genuine economic purpose. It will transfer the burden of proof, from HMRC having to prove that a transaction was really a disguised tax avoidance device, to a company having to prove that it had a genuine purpose. If HMRC believed for good reasons that it was really for tax avoidance purposes, they could declare that the transaction was null and void and it would be for the company, if they so chose, to challenge that decision in court. As it happens, on this very day a new tax avoidance sceme has just surfaced which would be a perfect example for the application of my Bill.

Wouldn’t that include people stuffing cash into a pension too – as based upon the current returns…

haha ok is this something new? that people with huge cash will make the most of it? that people with huge amounts of cash don’t care about those without. hahaha.It

is this not just the modern way of bringing the issue into the public eye..?

of course, we erudite STW stalwarts are proud of our dogged determination in hunting down injustice and will spend hours poring over the deeds of obscure party supporting business men to find irregularities.. but perhaps we’re the intellectual minority..?

Call me Dave probably imagines that the general public may understand things a bit better if a popular celeb is at the centre of the scandal.. maybe this is the dawning of a new age of transparency and morality for the ConDems..?
Perhaps the hundreds and hundreds of millions of taxes that get legally stolen by the elite have finally started to cause the government some embarrassment..?
Maybe this is the start of a major shake down..?
The emergence of a J Edgar Hoover to topple the Eton Mafia..?

I’m not sure what point I’m trying to make, and I think I’m almost sounding like I’m investing blind optimism and trusting the government on this, so I’d better go and make a nice hot pot of tea and meditate for a bit..

I find the whole thing very odd.

Conservative PM publicly comments on an individuals tax payments (does data protection come in to that?) saying its wrong that he’s avoiding tax and he shouldn’t be doing.

Labour leader basically comes out and says its legal, whats wrong with that.

Isn’t this complete role reversal?

Also what is the PM thinking behind this politically? It will score him points with all us poor people (or so he hopes) but for all the rich people who support his party and keep the UK economy going it will do him no favours.

Also as has been said above Jimmy Carr is a drop in the ocean, why didnt he mention some much bigger players too?

.

Also what is the PM thinking behind this politically? It will score him points with all us poor people (or so he hopes) but for all the rich people who support his party and keep the UK economy going it will do him no favours.

He’ll get a Sun headline and the proles will think he’s on their side (yeah… right!), whereas the Tory Donors will know that its lip service, and he’ll actually do eff all to plug their dodgy offshore tax affairs.

Actually… as a percentage of his income, if Jimmy Carr paid 2% tax then that a **** of a lot more than News International paid in tax last year. And I’ll go out on a limb here and guess that the sums involved are more considerable than Jimmy Carrs ‘8 out of 10 Cats’ proceeds

Labour leader basically comes out and says its legal, whats wrong with that.

I’m not entirely sure that the Labour Leader saying “whats wrong with that” bit is true.

Another vote for Mr Carr to tell Cameron to wind his neck in. The day when a Prime Minister becomes a bully and can label someone as a Public Enemy is a bad one for us all. Stand firm Mr Carr!

I think the Labour leader is saying that it’s more important to concentrate on closing the loopholes than labelling a comedian who is avoiding tax legally as “immoral”. It may be immoral, but he hasn’t broken any law of the land, and it’s small beans compared to what we’ve lost as society from the “sweetheart” deals that HMRC struck with, for example, Goldman Sachs.

When is Cameron going to label Zac Goldsmith immoral?
When is Cameron going to label Philip Green immoral?
When is Cameron going to label Ashcroft immoral?
Eh? What? Eh?

David Cameron calls Jimmy Carr “Morally Wrong” for using legal tax avoidance methods. Fair play to him on that one. Cameron family fortune consolidated in legal tax avoidance schemes in Panama and Geneva…. So, do as we say and not we do then is it..?

ohnohesback +1

Of course. Nothing like picking on someone to divert attention away for the mess that you’re making…

Of course. Nothing like picking on someone to divert attaention away for the mess that you’re making…

Anyone would think the Tories are, well, erm, kind of bully-ish eh?

If Cameron’s behaviour is a barometer of the Tory party’s essential nature, then I’d have to say that it’s irrefutable evidence that they are indeed, scum…

Messages of support here: http://www.facebook.com/jimmycarrfans

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Just saying, like…

IMO Jimmy Carr has played this all wrong rather than a trite appologetic tweet he really should have stood on his doorstep this morning given a little shrug and said something like;

“I made a mistake. Not avoiding taxes, everyone with a few quid does that, No I fogot to make a donation to the Conservative party… Cheques in the post Dave.”

That would have been far better…

In fact, I’m so incensed at Cameron’s bullsht that I’m going to vote Labour at the next election. Not that I think that bunch of tosseurs are any better at running stuff, but just to stick one up Cameron’s rear entry.

cookeaa – Member

IMO Jimmy Carr has played this all wrong rather than a trite appologetic tweet he really should have stood on his doorstep this morning given a little shrug and said something like;

“I made a mistake. Not avoiding taxes, everyone with a few quid does that, No I fogot to make a donation to the Conservative party… Cheques in the post Dave.”

That would have been far better…

10 out of 10! 🙂

Calm down Woppit, you’ll feel a whole lot better after you’ve had a nice relaxing cup of tea.

Then I’m sure you won’t feel any need to stick one up Cameron’s rear entry.

Don’t tell me to calm down, you patronising dick.

lol, oh dear.

Don’t tell me to calm down, you patronising dick.

Clearly you don’t need to calm down at all then.

Well, obviously!!! 😀

Now now boys

Did someone say Dick?

I have an attractive one I’d have you know