Jimmy Carr tax affairs 'not morally right' - Cameron

[superfrank]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18521468

More than 1,000 people, including Carr, are thought to be using the Jersey-based K2 scheme.

Under it, an individual resigns from their company and any salary they subsequently receive is paid to an offshore trust.

The individual then receives a small amount of that as salary and the rest as a loan, which because it can technically be recalled, does not attract tax.

According to the Times, the K2 scheme allows someone on an income of £280,000 to reduce their tax bill from £127,000 to just £3,500.

[andyfuller]

Can't say I have a problem with these things unless they are illegal which this isn't.

You don't hear people moaning about most people using ISA's or the actual illegal practice of paying 'cash in hand' to their friendly builder.

Moan at the Government not the individual imo.

[PeterLe]

I not sure that Jimmy Carr would lie awake worrying about the morals of tax evasion. I just dont have any time for him after he made jokes about the Iraq and afghanistan war amputees.
Everything in context and you could call his act smart comedy/satire...but I wouldn't go and watch him if he was free

[LeTiss]

I used to live in Jersey, it's an island with the morals of a stray cat

[Iron]

Cameron is a hypocrite! If he really does think tax avoidance is immoral, he should close the tax loophole that Jimmy Carr used. But he won't, as doing so would seriously upset some of his party's biggest donors...

Jeff

[legendz]

Amazon, play.com are just two of many that set up in jersey , half the f1 drivers are based abroad for tax reasons , most people would do the same. Id prefer him to look at these taxpayer funded credit cards they have swiped 2million on in the last year.

[superfrank]

am surprised many people think it's fine just because it might be technically legal.

if someone found a loophole in the law meaning that shoplifting was legal under certain circumstances do you think people would not consider them thieves? no, me neither.

they should make an example of one or 2 high profile people using "aggressive tax avoidance". a year in Wormwood Scrubs for a few would soon end such practices.

and as soon as the loophole is closed they should all be made to pay the backdated tax at PAYE rates.

[fuzzer54]

I know how you feel but you really cannot go around jailing people who haven't broken any laws. The government needs to simplify the tax system dramatically and make it impossible to avoid tax legally. They seem to be making absolutely no real effort to do so - but then neither has the so-called Labour government in the past - so I certainly won't be holding my breath.
Do we really care that much if the rather odious Mr Carr moves abroad? It is his right to do so, as it is for the bankers who've made fortunes while wrecking the economy. I'm sure those who genuinely care about our country and its people and stay here will do a far better job anyway.
Good riddance I say!

[andyfuller]

Can't agree with you on this one Frank. The law is there for a reason, people may not like the law and how people use it to their advantage but the problem for me is with the law and the lawmakers not the individual.

I think his move today was more about ticket and dvd sales than anything else.

There are plenty of people in the world of Betfair Trading using 'aggressive premium charge avoidance schemes'. Some of which are actually illegal, not many complain about people trying to avoid premium charge.

The majority of people IMO will always try to pay as little tax as possible, picking out these big well known name iis just convenient for the politicians.

[fuzzer54]

I don't think finding a way to avoid paying the premium charge has actually been made a criminal offence - unless I've missed something!

[superfrank]

The majority of people IMO will always try to pay as little tax as possible, picking out these big well known name iis just convenient for the politicians.

but it gets the public's attention, and it was The Times that named him.

the more tax these people don't pay, the more tax normal people have to pay.

[andyfuller]

I don't think finding a way to avoid paying the premium charge has actually been made a criminal offence - unless I've missed something!

It depends upon what you are doing to avoid it. Something's are not illegal but others are i believe. Some of which are talked about openly on the various forums.

My reason for saying they are illegal is from what I was told by a Met Police officer involved in this line of work, he also added the chances of you being caught and prosecuted are tiny but that doesn't move away from the fact it would be against the law to do some of the things people have discussed on forums to avoid paying it.

[CaerMyrddin]

I'm with Frank on this one, if something isn't illegal, it doesn't make it moral.

Imho, there is also a problem with the fact that some have a different access to laws and justice in general, so the fairness of the system is flawed to some extent.

[gazuty]

.

[andyfuller]

The majority of people IMO will always try to pay as little tax as possible, picking out these big well known name iis just convenient for the politicians.

Not often I agree with Milliband but he makes fair point here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18535642

Very short memory a lot of politicians, expenses anyone?