Tax is deliberately taxing...

[kynon]

Somewhat topical in the UK at present is the issue of tax. Income tax, corporation tax, value added tax, inheritance tax, fuel duty, alcohol duty, etc etc etc. Much hue & cry has been made in the press & by *hackspit* politicians about the morality of the tax avoidance schemes being used by large companies, and indeed by some high-profile

Comments

[rhino_mittens]

The point that you* are not stealing from the UK in avoiding taxation is fair, however the same principals as described in that email could be used to argue that the MP claiming a duck house on expenses was actually generating business for a duck-house builder, and providing employment for his accountant. Wherever the money goes it is going to go around a circle, except in your case you have the luxury of choosing which direction around the circle it goes

[kynon]

I like the comment at the end about the grenade - I thought I'd already lobbed one by writing this post... ;-) However, to address your comments more fully

[kytheraen]

Hadn't thought of it that way.

I'm hopeless at finding out information (cos I never know where to get it, or whether the information found is heavily biased in one direction or another), so I like reading things like this where it's nicely explained for stupid me.

[kynon]

Caveat - this is also written with my own particular slant on things. I agree that finding suitable raw data upon which to base one's own opinions is proving rather difficult these days - as is cutting through the spin, bluster, and logical fallacies (some of which I have probably committed here) present in what *is* readily available.

I am divided - I think there is a place for the state to provide for certain functions, but I also think that the state as it is, is vastly overgrown/bloated, and parasitical.

This was partly meant as a bit of a hand-grenade to stimulate/provoke debate also...

[wibblefish]

The government twining about tax avoidance would have more weight if they and the previous government hasn't blocked moved to restrict tax havens probably due to London being a very profitable tax haven (and possibly them hiding lots of their own money)