According to something called taxationinfonews.com the above headline is true. As they say:
UK taxpayers are growing increasingly uneasy over the UK tax regulations and the Government’s fiscal policies, with calls for a reevaluation of the system to make it fairer and more equitable.
A rising number of Britons are voicing their concerns with the coalition government’s recent changes to the tax system, with a demonstration being planned for December 4th to protest for an overhaul of the tax regulations.
I think that’s probably right. But they continue:
To explain the grievances of many taxpayers, on November 15th Richard Murphy, founder of the Tax Justice Network, published the Manifesto for Tax Justice, which highlights the several concerns that many hold with the Government and the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The manifesto also attempts to propose solutions to the problems.
According to the document, UK taxpayers have numerous concerns about various aspects of tax system and the subsequent use of revenues. Chief among the concerns are several issues surrounding the taxation of big businesses. Richard Murphy notes that over the next four years, large businesses will be the only structure in the economy which can anticipate any tax cuts. He claims that the cuts will culminate in 2014, with large businesses paying lower tax rates than most small businesses and individuals in the UK.
In regards to banks, the manifesto claims that the institutions which caused the recent global financial crisis are paying disproportionately little tax, with UK authorities adamantly opposing the idea of a tax on risky bank transactions, and the new bank levy raising less money than the one-off Bankers’ Bonus Tax.
Additionally, national taxpayers are concerned by the Government’s upcoming public spending package, which Chancellor George Osborne said would be worth approximately GBP 81 billion. According to the manifesto, individual taxpayers are worried about the precedent set by the recent Vodafone tax scandal, in which the HMRC excused the company from nearly GBP 6 billion of tax liabilities.
Richard Murphy also pointed out that the UK Government seems to be doing very little to fight tax evasion through offshore jurisdictions, which is believed to cost the country approximately GBP 18.5 billion annually. He notes that the UK itself appears to be a tax haven for overseas individuals and businesses. He suggests that the Government should abolish its domicile rules and end end the veil of secrecy surrounding offshore companies and trusts be banned.
Richard Murphy maintains that the manifesto is not directly related to the planned demonstrations, but only serves to outline the concerns of that many taxpayers hold. It also, demands that each issue be adequately dealt with by the HMRC in a timely and effective manner
That’s an almighty lot to say without once calling me. The last paragraph certainly implies such discussion took place. Well, I know I speak to a lot of journalists but I genuinely don’t recall such a conversation.
The reality is that I wrote this manifesto at the request of the great many people, including many trade unionists who are furious about this issue, and rightly so. They,rightly,understand that the tax is a narrativethat explains the choice that the ConDems have made. They have chosento leave money in the hands of tax evaders,tax cheats and those who refuse to pay on time. They are deliberately taking money away from pensioners, children, education, the sick, the disabled, those unable to work through no fault of their own, public servants and all those services that make us a civilised society. That's what this is about. If the Vodafone protesters are part of that, good for them. But remember, this is not about attacking society, this is about upholding society in the face of the abuse of an elite who wish to destroy the democratic inheritance and freedoms that generations fought for in this country.
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