We've not had a political debate on here for a while so......

[Saxondale]

David Gauke then.  The treasury minster has had a go at people, plumbers and the like, doing a bit of work cash in hand.  In the meantime he goes home to his solicitor wife who specialises in corporate tax law.  I wonder what corporate tax lawyers do?

Meanwhile the top dogs of government, dave and gideon have been bandiying around phrases such as 'morally repugnant' and 'morally wrong' about tax dodgers whilst doing sweetheart deals with big business allowing them to pay fuck all tax or not chasing companies who are hiding trillions of pounds offshore.

So the question is, are they cunts, or am I a cunt for thinking the cunts are a bunch of cock juggling thunder cunts?

[donkey]

David Gauke then.  The treasury minster has had a go at people, plumbers and the like, doing a bit of work cash in hand.  In the meantime he goes home to his solicitor wife who specialises in corporate tax law.  I wonder what corporate tax lawyers do?

Meanwhile the top dogs of government, dave and gideon have been bandiying around phrases such as 'morally repugnant' and 'morally wrong' about tax dodgers whilst doing sweetheart deals with big business allowing them to pay fuck all tax or not chasing companies who are hiding trillions of pounds offshore.

So the question is, are they cunts, or am I a cunt for thinking the cunts are a bunch of cock juggling thunder cunts?

They are tories.  What else do you need to know?

[Ardiles]

If I want to pay cash in hand to my window cleaner, I will.  I'm taxed to the hilt - first via PAYE/income tax and, then, the element that is left to me is subject to an array of further taxes.  VAT is just the start.  The government seems to think it has a right to take, and then take, and then take again...at every step of the way.

Frankly, this Gauke person, who I'd never heard of until today, can fuck off.  The day I start turning to politicians for moral guidance is rather a long way off.

[Samdy Gray]

It's getting ridiculous to a point where, at some stage, the government will be telling us how we have to arrange our financial affairs to maximise the amount of tax we pay.

[Flashheart]

Everybody should take a leaf out of the Frog's book and riot like fuck.

[Mister Lorenzo]

So where do you draw the line when it comes to cash in hand?
From what I understand some of the financial troubles in Greece (whilst not the cause of it) are down to the tax payers not paying tax, with restaurant's, taxi's etc only accepting payment in cash so they don't have to declare it, that's really going to help a failing economy isn't it!!

Is paying cash in hand as bad as buying dodgy gear that "fell off the back of a lorry" from some bloke down the pub? Some would argue that it is.

[Flashheart]

I think it's more the hypocrisy that gets peoples' backs up.

[Samdy Gray]

From what I understand some of the financial troubles in Greece (whilst not the cause of it) are down to the tax payers not paying tax, with restaurant's, taxi's etc only accepting payment in cash so they don't have to declare it, that's really going to help a failing economy isn't it!!

Our situation is that Joe Bloggs pays his plumber in cash so that the plumber avoids a bit of VAT.

In Greece, their tax bills are "settled" by handing over brown envelopes full of cash to government officials.

Slightly different situations there.

[Barry Scott]

Everybody should take a leaf out of the Frog's book and riot like fuck.

This.

[Mister Lorenzo]

Our situation is that Joe Bloggs pays his plumber in cash so that the plumber avoids a bit of VAT.

In Greece, their tax bills are "settled" by handing over brown envelopes full of cash to government officials.

Slightly different situations there.

Yes, possibly true but where do you draw the line?
If every plumber wants to save a bit of VAT the lost revenue is going to have to be made up somewhere else....
I should point out I don't work for the Inland Revenue or have any other vested interest, I do pay vast sums in PAYE etc each month, however why should a "plumber" be able to save a bit of VAT?

[Simon Pieman]

The problem is HMRC doesn’t have the resources to get locked into a lot of these legal battles. When the General Anti-Abuse Rule comes into play (and I’m sure it’s a matter of when and not if) it will be a lot harder to avoid tax successfully.
Whether or not a tradesman declares his earnings is entirely down to him. If I want to pay him in cash I will. It’s not down to the consumer at all.

[Samdy Gray]

why should a "plumber" be able to save a bit of VAT?

Yes, the plumber saves VAT, but it's only an additional cost they would've passed on to you anyway, so really it's you that's benefited at the revenue's expense.

[Arriba]

The self employed fiddling their taxes is an issue,but this stinks of hypocrisy.

[Ardiles]

These are the most recommended comments to this story in the Telegraph and the Guardian.  Rarely can a comment by a government minister have attracted such negative press from both the Right and the Left (for completely different reasons, obviously).

The Telegraph
No, sorry and all that but the government has long since ceased to represent anything I am willing to pay taxes towards. They have lost all sense of shame, all claim to moral justification; they have rigged the electoral process and betrayed the nation.

I am not interested in the slightest in their opinions of my morals.

The Guardian
I see after the various articles about the 20tn being hidden offshore they've got their priorities right. I knew it was the plumbers all along.

[Mister Lorenzo]

Yes, the plumber saves VAT, but it's only an additional cost they would've passed on to you anyway, so really it's you that's benefited at the revenue's expense.

So that's alright then?