WikiGeaks to release details of 2000 tax EVADERS!!

1984ReturnsForReal_2

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12205690


How interesting.


This should stir things up a little on the "we are all in it together" front.......

A former Swiss banker is set to pass on data containing account details of 2,000 prominent people to Wikileaks.
The data - which is not yet available on the Wikileaks website - is held on two discs to be passed on by Rudolf Elmer at a press conference in London.
Mr Elmer, who has given data to Wikileaks before, was fired from Swiss bank Julius Baer in 2002.
He is scheduled to go on trial in Switzerland on Wednesday for breaking bank secrecy laws.
According to a report in Swiss newspaper Der Sonntag, the data covers multinationals, financial firms and wealthy individuals from many countries, including the UK, US and Germany, and covers the period 1990-2009.

The_White_Horse

good luck to all these people. if it is not illegal what is the problem? all the poor people would do the same if they could. no one pays our of a moral sense of duty (except perhaps a few idiotic leftys and commies). people pay because they have to. people are just jealous that rich people can pay accountants to dream up legal schemes to avoid tax.

its no different than some poor person shopping in morrisons because they think it is cheaper than Tescos.

Poppycat

According to BBC news its tax evading not avoidance

Mallotum_X

The_White_Horse wrote: »

good luck to all these people. if it is not illegal what is the problem? all the poor people would do the same if they could. no one pays our of a moral sense of duty (except perhaps a few idiotic leftys and commies). people pay because they have to. people are just jealous that rich people can pay accountants to dream up legal schemes to avoid tax.

its no different than some poor person shopping in morrisons because they think it is cheaper than Tescos.

I think people are annoyed rather than jealous that they are having to pay the richer peoples share of the tax take.

Its completely different to making choices about shopping...

vivatifosi

If they've been evading tax rather than avoiding it, serves them right.

The_White_Horse

if they are evading, that is different.

the poor don't pay these people's share. the rich person will still pay a lot more tax than the poor.

the rich are taxed too heavily. this is why they spend so much avoiding it.

they pay their accountants hundreds of thousands. if tax was cheaper, they would just pay that in tax - if it was more costs effective. as it stands, they can pay these people hundreds of thousands and still be better off.

wotsthat

Mallotum_X wrote: »

I think people are annoyed rather than jealous that they are having to pay the richer peoples share of the tax take.

What has 'share' got to do with it? People don't pay tax based on their share - they pay what they are required to. Why pay more than is required?

I'd be annoyed if they were evading tax but jealousy would be closer to the mark if they were avoiding tax.

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

If they've been evading tax rather than avoiding it, serves them right.

If they've been evading not avoiding and evidence is available why are they not being prosecuted?

edit: on news they are saying evasion....individuals and companies. I hope action against them...legal not vigilante, follows.

FTBFun

Interesting. Bit like when the chap from UBS leaked a ton of data.

Nothing wrong with tax avoidance though if that is what has happened. Wrapping shares in an ISA is tax avoidance...

Mallotum_X

wotsthat wrote: »

What has 'share' got to do with it? People don't pay tax based on their share - they pay what they are required to. Why pay more than is required?

I'd be annoyed if they were evading tax but jealousy would be closer to the mark if they were avoiding tax.

As its reported that they are evading, therefore not paying what is due, then their tax is not paid, thats their share, sorry if you dont like the way i put it. As their 'share' is not paid then other people have to make up the shortfall....

It really is quite simple, regardless of whether you are rich or poor the government dictates that everyone pays their 'share' of tax, if some people scam and get away with it then the rest of us have to pay more, and quite rightly get a bit angry about it.

Its the same as if a burglar were to break in and nick something from your neighbour, would you be jealous of the burglar or angry....

Jennifer_Jane

I understand that there is nothing innately illegal in holding a Swiss bank account and earning interest on any savings. The (UK) illegality is in not paying tax on the interest. I cannot see how anyone in Switzerland can know whether UK residents are paying tax on the interest on their accounts or not.

What is definitely illegal in Switzerland is any Banker acknowledging in any way that a client has an account at that bank (even a nod of the head would be sufficient). I assume that is what Elmer was jailed for previously.

I only know this from the estate of a relative who had a Swiss Bank Account and my sister and I went to Zurich to try to get some information.