Comic Jimmy Carr admits off-shore 'tax dodge'

[JimO]

Let's throw in a company for good measure... Nope, businesses should be taxed at exactly the same rates as us normal folk. Why do they deserve tax incentives when they abuse the taxation system? kinda like forcing every beneficiary to carry a "what you can spend your money on card", even though only a small portion of them abuse the system. One tax scale for all entities and jail the heads of any that are caught avoiding taxes!

at least he is earning his own money not bludging like the beneficiaries

[YellowDog]

Let's throw in a company for good measure... Nope, businesses should be taxed at exactly the same rates as us normal folk. Why do they deserve tax incentives when they abuse the taxation system? kinda like forcing every beneficiary to carry a "what you can spend your money on card", even though only a small portion of them abuse the system. One tax scale for all entities and jail the heads of any that are caught avoiding taxes!

Point of thread taken and accepted. Like you said, many are doing the same.

Not all businesses abuse the system. There are many small businesses needing all the help they can get so they can employ more people and grow.

As somone who ran a business for 12 years, I can tell you that it is really tough to keep going and also pay everyone every month/quater. It makes you wonder who's in charge? In my case and also in the case of many, you work crazy long hours and become a slave to the IRD. Yes there are some perks, but if you look at the time and effort required to survive, it's not a great deal.

I was lucky and sold my business for shit loads of cash and then took advantage of the tax breaks to get as much cash in my pocket as possible and pay off my mortgage. Was it worth it? Well as it turned out for me personally, yes. But there is a very fine line between surviving and or going bust and without the help of $100,000 of credit card and overdraft facilities, I may well have gone bust on several occasions.

[Red39]

... but he's sorry

Yet another fuckin wanker... all of those who do such a thing are morally redundant human beings with absolutely no concern for their fellow man... and then these people try to justify their in-actions whilst people have lost their jobs and their homes because of cutbacks that could have been avoided had those who can best afford it have just paid their taxes. They're by far worse and do more damage than beneficiaries that fiddle the system!

Awww Mash, you're too good to me....this one's a peach. Although I'd forgive JC anything on account of he's mildly amusing. Good enough reason as any eh. He he he

[Big Dave]

moreover I realise that it is unnecessary.

Cool - send all yours to Spankme so we can benefit from new hardware.

[mashman]

at least he is earning his own money not bludging like the beneficiaries

... just in case you don't know. One of the mechanisms for keeping inflation low, and by default our money worth what it is, is that a percentage of the population have to be unemployed. So technically the beneficiaries are doing more for the economy than he who maketh you laugh. They should be paid more.

Point of thread taken and accepted. Like you said, many are doing the same.

Not all businesses abuse the system. There are many small businesses needing all the help they can get so they can employ more people and grow.

As somone who ran a business for 12 years, I can tell you that it is really tough to keep going and also pay everyone every month/quater. It makes you wonder who's in charge? In my case and also in the case of many, you work crazy long hours and become a slave to the IRD. Yes there are some perks, but if you look at the time and effort required to survive, it's not a great deal.

I was lucky and sold my business for shit loads of cash and then took advantage of the tax breaks to get as much cash in my pocket as possible and pay off my mortgage. Was it worth it? Well as it turned out for me personally, yes. But there is a very fine line between surviving and or going bust and without the help of $100,000 of credit card and overdraft facilities, I may well have gone bust on several occasions.

I know not all businesses abuse the system and that some need help, but like the beneficiaries who need help to earn more money (even if they work 2 jobs for 14 hours per day and still come out with fuck all), if we need to catch the abusers, they all have to suffer? Or is it one rule for some and one for others?

My family have had failed businesses and have had very successful businesses, I've been part of failed startups and part of successful startups and so I've seen and appreciate how hard it is... all the more reason that the scum bags that squirrel away millions (or as the author of the company article assumes) or billions, need to be caught, then perhaps the honest trader will get a fair shout and the help that they require... although why businesses should be subsidised is beyond me, they should be left to fail, just like individuals are.

The harsh realities of life as people keep telling me

Cool - send all yours to Spankme so we can benefit from new hardware.

I ain't confident that Mrs Mash will go for that.

[Big Dave]

I ain't confident that Mrs Mash will go for that.

The revolution has to start somewhere. Here is your chance. Grasp the ring. Remember what Billy said - It's only an epical haircut away!

[mashman]

The revolution has to start somewhere. Here is your chance. Grasp the ring. Remember what Billy said - It's only an ethical haircut away!

Waaaaahhhhhh she won't let me... and you fuckers ain't worth me ditchin my family. (not yet anyway)

[Big Dave]

It is 'epical'.

[mashman]

It is 'effical'.

translated from the original English: effical = ethical... cheers for the tune though, Billy was just outside of my era. Prolly just as well eh.

[superman]

at least he is earning his own money not bludging like the beneficiaries

In New Zealand we lose potentially $7 billion per year to tax avoidance.

Unemployed Benefit costs NZ $881 million/year, solo mothers, and caregivers of sick people get $1.82 billion, invalids $1.4 billion, student loans $1.64 billion. Tax avoidance is over twice the combination of all of these beneficiaries. Even if 10% of all beneficiaries were bludgers that's $0.6 billion, and I would find it hard to believe 'bludging' would even occur 1 in every 10 beneficiaries.

The biggest bludgers are the tax avoiders. For some reason in NZ society people envy those who get out of tax rather than condemn their actions as detrimental to the very function of their government.

[Winston001]

One of the mechanisms for keeping inflation low, and by default our money worth what it is, is that a percentage of the population have to be unemployed.

Who originally said that?

Which school of economics proposes that?

[mashman]

Who originally said that?

Which school of economics proposes that?

It was something I read on the RBNZ website (link posted in a thread on KB somewhere). Is it wrong?

[slowpoke]

Best we look in the mirror before we start shouting down the houses. This is, after all, a community who likes nothing better than to walk into a local bike shop to try on some gear or check out some parts, then chuff off home to order it off the 'net. We're then absolutely stoked if the foreign supplier is willing to write down the price so we can avoid all those GST/Customs/clearance fees. If that isn't knowingly shafting the bike shop/industry and shirking our taxation responsibilities what is?

How many of us have done a "cash" job? Or asked for a "cash" price? Knowing full well it wouldn't go through the books.

How many have tried to get out of a parking or speeding fine knowing full well they're in the wrong?

How many business vehicles do you see on the road over the Christmas break or other public holidays?

How many folks here haven't stretched the truth on their tax return? Or, more to the point, would if they could?

How many GP/Superbike stars have addresses in Monaco, Isle of Man or other tax benefial locales? Yet they're still our heroes.

All this sanctimonious vitriol is just so much double standard and jealousy. Most of us are quite happy to do exactly the same, all we're doing is haggling over the amount that is acceptable, a la Winston Churchill and his prostitute comment:

“Churchill: "Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?" Socialite: "My goodness, Mr. Churchill... Well, I suppose... we would have to discuss terms, of course... "
Churchill: "Would you sleep with me for five pounds?"
Socialite: "Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!" Churchill: "Madam, we've already established that. Now we are haggling about the price”

[Gremlin]

It's legal... If it was so terrible, close the loophole...

Rich people are rich for a reason... I don't see many self-made stupid rich people...

I ain't rich, but I can't see why people would be jumping up and down over it, when he's not breaking any laws.

[BoristheBiter]

... but he's sorry

Yet another fuckin wanker... all of those who do such a thing are morally redundant human beings with absolutely no concern for their fellow man... and then these people try to justify their in-actions whilst people have lost their jobs and their homes because of cutbacks that could have been avoided had those who can best afford it have just paid their taxes. They're by far worse and do more damage than beneficiaries that fiddle the system!

Like them them the cry about governments but do nothing to change it.
Gee that sound familiar.