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

[Flashheart]

If I could get away with not paying tax, I fucking would. Same as all the rest of you.

Which is why they should focus in closing down the loopholes.

[jayohaitchenn]

But that only hits them in the pocket. Why would they bother?

[tans]

If I could get away with not paying tax, I fucking would. Same as all the rest of you.

The man speaketh sense.

[jonny72]

I've pretty much lost faith in all politicians, with them once again lowering the bar by blaming state of the economy on people paying bills with cash. Amazingly, though unsurprisingly, not a single minister has ever paid for anything in cash ever. Why they thought targeting the real workers and those at the bottom end of the pay scale with their latest attack is beyond me, they seem to have totally lost the plot.

The only glimmer of light I can see in politics is Boris Johnson who when asked the same question said "I've certainly paid a lot of cash in hand." He might be a bit of a twat and I don't agree with everything he comes out with but at least he is honest and genuine. I'd happily have him as Prime Minister, especially as we'd all have a laugh as the country turns to shit.

[LucienSanchez]

They should probably look to recoup Vodafone's £6bn before bleating on about plumbers not paying tax on cash payments.

Obviously most people would avoid tax if possible, and as such, any loopholes should be closed. It just irks when they turn a blind eye to dubious big business accounting and the offshore stuff despite many conclusive reports that it's costing the country trillions, in order to focus on small traders and the self-employed, which in all honesty, wouldn't really make much difference.

[kerry red]

If you think UK politicians are slimy, try the Irish version.

We have on TD (MP) who has admitted fraudently side-stepping over 2m worth of VAT on his business, who has refused to resign and has just waited the media storm to blow over - as it always does.

The previous month a garlic importer was jailed for 7 years for evading VAT.

We have a huge number of TDs who have been overpaid on their pensions refusing to pay it back cos they cant afford to!

As unbelievable as it sounds, since the inception of the Irish State only ONE TD has ever resigned - and that was a conscience resignation.

Not one has ever resigned or been forced from office despite numerous fraud and corruption scandals.

It truly beggars belief

[ghanimah]

The day I take lessons in morals from a politician is the day the devil will skate to work.

"its morally wrong to do this, that and the other". Fuck off.

Incidentally I got our cars serviced recently and didn't pay 1p VAT all legally. Found a good, local to work back street garage that isn't VAT registered on account of earnings. In your face Gauke.

PS. Ghanimah must be having a lay in. He'd love this thread.

Cheeky 

FWIW VAT is a wholly regressive, ridiculously bureaucratic tax that not only hits the poorest the hardest, hinders growth but essentially turns our nation in to unpaid tax collectors. Not only that it's an EU tax - a condition of our membership of which they take a slice - a classic case of 'taxation without representation'. As far as I'm concerned anyone who manages to avoid it good on them and I'm certainly not going to take any lectures from MPs on morals when they quite happily rip off expenses and spend hard-earned taxpayers' money on a whim.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2177099/Speaker-John-Bercow-charged-taxpayers-624-limo-ride-breathless-night-wife-seaside-resort.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Fuck 'em

[chalkies_shorts]

They should probably look to recoup Vodafone's £6bn before bleating on about plumbers not paying tax on cash payments.

Obviously most people would avoid tax if possible, and as such, any loopholes should be closed. It just irks when they turn a blind eye to dubious big business accounting and the offshore stuff despite many conclusive reports that it's costing the country trillions, in order to focus on small traders and the self-employed, which in all honesty, wouldn't really make much difference.

My views exactly. Tory MPs are invariably hypocritical arsewipes of the highest order. The country is in the shit, corporations and rich people evade tax any way they can. The solution - lets hit the common working man. There is a big difference between tax avoidance on those who are worth millions and those who might be trying to keep their heads above water. 

[horlock07]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2177099/Speaker-John-Bercow-charged-taxpayers-624-limo-ride-breathless-night-wife-seaside-resort.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Fuck 'em

On a slightly unrelated point Bercow's bloody missus really pisses me off

[RedRag]

staunchly il partito nazionalista fascista for me...........albeit on the wishy washy liberal wing

[deltaincline]

I'm happy to pay cash-in-hand to any tradesman if it means getting a bit of discount in return. If he is avoiding tax by not declaring it, fucking fair play to him.

We should all pay a bit of tax and I dont have any problem contributing my bit for the common good.

Trouble is, the national interests / common good got shat upon years ago. All governments just want more and more in tax and look after each other first and foremost.

The list is waaay too fucking long to spell out here, but we all know we're fucked up the arse everywhere we go with ever increasing airport taxes, VAT, betting taxation, PAYE, NI contributions, road tax etc etc - all of which go into central coffers, NOT where we all think they should go.

Regardless of political beliefs, religion or morality, most of us instinctively know that we're being fucked when it comes to taxation, so where is the problem with us ordinary people doing deals with each other that benefit us and keep the thieving cunts in Whitehall at arms length?

Look at it another way; If, say you were going to paint your house yourself, the government wouldn't get any tax or VAT from you for your labour, would they?

So where is the problem if you pay someone in cash to do it for you while you go and earn some money doing whatever you do for a living? The painter gets some cash and doesn't pay tax on it, you get your house painted with a bit of a discount and the Revenue sit and swivel like they would of done had you painted the house yourself in the first place.

Cash usually ends up getting spent locally anyway as it cant be used to buy capital (traceable) items like houses or cars, so your community benefits.

[herthab]

More than one person on here has intimated that the Conservatives are somehow worse than the other lot. Fuck me, there's some severe memory loss about!  Labour politicians were no different when they were in charge.

[Arriba]

More than one person on here has intimated that the Conservatives are somehow worse than the other lot. Fuck me, there's some severe memory loss about!  Labour politicians were no different when they were in charge.

from bad to worse

[walcot red]

The problem I think we have in this country is people's apathy they'll moan about the government all day long, but will do nothing to improve the situation themselves. Somone else'll sort it attitude accomplishes fuck all. If there were to be a general strike called tomorrow most people would just stay at home and watch jermey kyle or some other shit. Where were all the protesters when the fuel prices went over £1.20?

If a general election was called tomorrow I'd be voting for the monster raving looney party at least we'd know what we'd expect from them.

As for the low turn out in elections couldn't they change the day we voted to a Saturday? It would also be nice to see some politician's actually keep the promises they've made.

[ghanimah]

The problem I think we have in this country is people's apathy they'll moan about the government all day long, but will do nothing to improve the situation themselves. Somone else'll sort it attitude accomplishes fuck all. If there were to be a general strike called tomorrow most people would just stay at home and watch jermey kyle or some other shit. Where were all the protesters when the fuel prices went over £1.20?

If a general election was called tomorrow I'd be voting for the monster raving looney party at least we'd know what we'd expect from them.

As for the low turn out in elections couldn't they change the day we voted to a Saturday? It would also be nice to see some politician's actually keep the promises they've made.

Turnout isn't affected because of which day, it's low because the vast majority of voters think their vote makes no difference and the choices available are all the same. That won't be solved by moving the day they voted.

A good example is the referendum on the local budget by Bristol in 2001 held midweek, which attracted a higher turnout than local elections.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/feb/15/uk.education

If people think their vote can effect real change they will turnout regardless of the day.