I’d love to believe in the ICAEW Tax Faculty’s project in what they say is ‘thought leadership‘ called ‘Towards a Better Tax System’. The only trouble is, I can’t. The reason is simple. I see no evidence of thought leadership within it, but I do see lots of evidence of self-interested thinking. They’re not the
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Accountancy Age reports that Michael Parkinson has dropped out of the totally artificial tax planning schemes organised by UK accountants Vantis. The schemes involved four companies set up by Vantis in which people invested. The companies were then floated on the Jersey Stock Exchange (which is a farce if ever there was one), after which
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John Christensen of Tax Justice Network and Nick Shaxson, an adviser to it, both feature prominently in a podcast for New Internationalist on tax justice issues. It’s a great piece of work, well recorded and produced and a good introduction to all the issues relating to tax justice and the world of offshore. Recommended. Available
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One of the regular challenges I face is the suggestion that whatever changes to the tax rules are made the rich will never pay tax. Tim Congdon raised it continually (and annoyingly) on Hecklers last week, for example. In a way, everyone who says this reworks the now near legendary comment in tax justice circles
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I’ve got to say one of the best things I’ve decided to do in the last couple of years was to start this blog. I enjoy doing it; you may have noticed. I’m pleased so many people read it. Anyone who writes enjoys knowing they’re read and writing has been an essential part of my
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I’m bored by the argument created by PWC and rolled out on BBC news last night by the CBI and even by HMRC that if a company pays national insurance because it employs people in the UK it’s OK for it not to pay corporation on the profits those employees then generate for it in
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When the government puts out a press release saying that reasoned argument is ‘ridiculous’ you know that something is wrong. That’s what they did yesterday in response to the suggestion I made on BBC radio and television that corporation tax needs to be reviewed to ensure that rather more than 70% of the 700 largest
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Prem Sikka has a blog column on the Guardian site. Today he argues: International accounting standards are colonialism in another guise, allowing tax avoidance while foisting failed practices without oversight or democratic control. Prem has been one of the most consistent, and correct, commentators on the course of accounting for the last 15 years or
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The was an article in the Polish press yesterday with the title: Poland’s progressive tax system could alienate investors As the story said: Finance experts and business people are pointing out that Poland is surrounded by countries with low, flat tax rates. If Polish governments refuse to grasp the nettle and lower tax, investment might
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