jimenato

Why?

Even the United States has different taxes in each state, the EU has different tax structures in each country, Spain has different taxes in different parts of its jurisdiction. Why should the UK impose one structure across all its associated countries when other groupings don't?

Or are you saying that all the others 'should' do as you say as well? Maybe the whole world 'should' have one tax regime?

amideislas

One worldwide (high) tax regime is something the EU would be delighted to see. Raise taxes to the limit without fear of capital flight. No more escape (except for the privileged of course) Like fishin' in a barrel.

Fredbargate

I see once again that the question has been avoided in a general attack on all and everything

So I will repeat it

What exactly does Miliband require that is not already in place?

Or is he just electioneering on a subject he has no understanding of ( amongst many ) ???

MikeJ

In no way does my post prove your point. The point I made was to counter your statement that people who called themselves Gibraltarians were not also British. How dare you twist my words

Fredbargate

If you want to avoid tax ( legal ) then check with a British Overseas Territory

If you want evade tax ( illegal ) just nip down your local High Street

BBC News - HSBC bank 'helped clients dodge millions in tax'

Fredbargate

Fredbargate

Araujo ‘embarrassed’ by García-Margallo’s reaction to Picardo

The Mayor of La Linea, Gemma Araujo, has labelled comments made by the Spanish Government on Chief Minister Fabian Picardo’s visit to Madrid as ‘embarrassing’.

Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García-Margallo’s comments has led to La Linea’s town council accusing the Partido Popular government of harming its own people.

“The attitude of the PP government is not to have any dialogue and search for confrontations, despite knowing full well that they prejudice against their own people,” Sra Araujo told the Spanish newspaper La Verdad.

Sr García-Margallo’s reaction to Mr Picardo’s presence in Madrid was “…fine…so long as no one forces me to listen to him.” Sra Araujo said: “Of course there will be subjects that the Spanish government will never agree with, but first we must have respect for one another because declarations like the one made by Margallo would be embarrassing for any politician.”

The La Linea politician said that before acting in any conflict, an effort must be made to engage in dialogue.

“We lived through this problem in the fishing conflict when Algeciras Mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce tarnished relations with Gibraltar,” she said.

“A fundamental issue for us was to ensure that our fishermen continued their work without problems, but the example given by the PP government was one of absolute lack of appreciation.”

Sra Araujo also said that she thought that it was shameful for the Spanish government to veto Mr Picardo’s invitation to the original conference in Madrid.

“I am Spanish and I feel Spanish, so the Spanish government must look towards my best interest, not prejudice against us,” she said.

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

EMR

Good try but you miss out one very important fact.

Much of the activities in HSBC Switzerlands operation ( not the high street ) involved setting up sham companes.
Where will these companies have been registered in TAX HAVENS.
I agree Millipede is electioneerng and no doubt you will say that David Cameron is doing it as well.
What you do not seem to realise that the average tax payer is fed up with the ability of some individuals and companies to avoid tax and wants these loopholes closed.
Margaret Hodge is taliking about this on the TV at the moment.

amideislas

I'd argue that the average taxpayer is already overburdened, so more than ever, of course it's not fair that others could ever pay less. It's no surprise so many would rally in favour of preventing anyone from paying less rather than rallying against oppressive taxes in the first place.

Nowadays, the best way to avoid over-taxation is to be legally entitled to the lowest levels of it (or become legally exempt from paying it altogether). No wonder, therefore, that there's so many in that category - or taking every action available to them to create the appearance of it.

Not surprisingly, those not legally obligated to pay oppressive taxes are typically the first in line to rally against those who don't pay their "fair share" of tax. A bit ironic, but certainly understandable.

But as you can see, that perception also serves to justify the oppressive taxation that so many aspire to avoid, and helps simplify a complex problem. Too much public debt? People living too well? Just raise taxes. That'll fix it. Simples. And the only people that will complain are the very ones we're trying to eliminate. And those politically exempt - such as the ruling class - can revel in their glorious political victories over "tax avoidance" by penalising average taxpayers for it. Everybody gets what they want.

So, using that same logic, I reckon it would be perfectly justifiable to tag any jurisdiction that imposes lower taxation as a "tax haven" that should be "blacklisted" and prevented from prospering at "our expense". After all, prosperity is unfair to all those who are prevented from achieving it.

Oh, and for even more fun... Here's yet another blatant example of the same definition of so-called "tax-evader"-turned politician that is promising to end all forms of "tax avoidance". Good job, but surely such efforts will apply only to the working class, not to the ruling class such as himself. After all, where would they hide their wealth if it equally applied to them?

Besides, it's been recently discovered that in a democracy, politicians need public support. Stopping "tax evaders" is exactly what voters want to hear (with the added benefit of justifying increasing their tax burden with minimal dissent), and I reckon sending a few of your neighbours to jail for not handing over the inheritance they received from uncle billy will prove their commitment to punishing anyone for evading their "fair share".

Good job we have sensible people free of any self-serving interests in charge of all that.

Jean-Claude Juncker: I will lead EU campaign against tax avoidance

Fredbargate

They were set up from the UK without the clients visiting Switzerland

EMR

HSBC used to have something those who worked there called the " Millionaires club ".
It was a division set for very wealthy clients to do exactly what has been revealed today.
It was closed down years ago.


Over £100 million has been paid back by the culprits it would be nice to know , not that we ever will in which tax haven under which company these funds were hidden.
There has been little on the news today but the HSBC investigation and the subject of tax avoidance/evasion.

I like the definition by one pundit on the lunchtime news , we know that tax evasion is illegal but the only difference between this and tax avoidance is that avoidance schemes have yet to be proved illegal.
There is basically no difference between them.

la mancha

An obsession is where something will not leave your mind.
Eric Clapton

EMR

You need to look back a few posts and see who actually bought up the activites of HSBC !!

la mancha

If you think this is about HSBC, then you have it bad.

EMR

You are right it is about tax avoidance/evasion and the use of tax havens to facilitate this.
As we know Gibraltar is a tax haven and this is a thread about Gibraltar.

If this was a Cayman Islands or Bermuda thread the same would apply.