'Have you ever cheated the taxman?' Poll results/discussion

cheatthecheatingcheaters

Conservative voters:

I want lower taxes, I don't want to pay for poor people to use schools/hospitals or anything else. BUT, I want everyone's taxes to pay for bigger, wider roads so we can turn the country into a carpark like America and I can drive my big fat car wherever I like. And I want cheaper petrol. Me, me, me.

sdooley

teddyco wrote: »

I, my wife, my family and friends are all waiting patiently here in Maidstone for the next election so we can:

VOTE CONSERVATIVE!
[...]
Make the English language mandatory for anyone who gets UK citizenship or works at a UK call center.
[...]
Elect Boris Johnson for London Mayor! Woo Hoo!

Bit unfair on the Welsh, that...:rolleyes:

jakeshaw

May I start by suggesting fellow MSEs watch the film Zeitgeist to compliment what I'm saying.

I simply fail to comprehend why people are so concerned about tax evasion/tax avoidance going so far to say that people are 'Criminals' if they fail to adhere to each and every "Rule" in this country, without questioning why they are there in the first place.

Generally, we are a nation of under-educated (academic or life skills), whining, depressive, over worked, over debted, over taxed workers - say hello to the modern day peasant. We are still very much at the mercy of "those above" through the ingenious use of debt/tax/media as a control mechanism.

Living standards aren't great - don't let the media tell you so. How many people do you know who are genuinely happy and content with most of their life... most people tend to fall into the above category.

It is the British character of submission that has allowed us to take these "rules" to lead over us, not for the general good of society - but as a control to keep all of us working and of course in submission. It's time the British took a genuine look at our counterparts in the France, Spain, Italy (all with higher living standards) etc etc - all of which have had a revolution to correct these fundamental imbalances.

And if it doesn't happen, which Im sure it won't as we'll all be back to work on Monday - I'll be out of this 'hole' within a year!

Just my thoughts on the matter

chuckles1066

jakeshaw wrote: »

May I start by suggesting fellow MSEs watch the film Zeitgeist to compliment what I'm saying.

I simply fail to comprehend why people are so concerned about tax evasion/tax avoidance going so far to say that people are 'Criminals' if they fail to adhere to each and every "Rule" in this country, without questioning why they are there in the first place.

Generally, we are a nation of under-educated (academic or life skills), whining, depressive, over worked, over debted, over taxed workers - say hello to the modern day peasant. We are still very much at the mercy of "those above" through the ingenious use of debt/tax/media as a control mechanism.

Living standards aren't great - don't let the media tell you so. How many people do you know who are genuinely happy and content with most of their life... most people tend to fall into the above category.

It is the British character of submission that has allowed us to take these "rules" to lead over us, not for the general good of society - but as a control to keep all of us working and of course in submission. It's time the British took a genuine look at our counterparts in the France, Spain, Italy (all with higher living standards) etc etc - all of which have had a revolution to correct these fundamental imbalances.

And if it doesn't happen, which Im sure it won't as we'll all be back to work on Monday - I'll be out of this 'hole' within a year!

Just my thoughts on the matter

Well I've thanked you but please PM me your AE.

Gordon_the_Moron

So does paying someone cash in hand (like the builder mentioned previously) count, since it is the person you are paying that is evading tax if they don't declare it. Otherwise if you have never been self employed there is a good chance the answer will be never, not because you are honest but not had the chance.

Frugaldom

Gordon_the_Moron wrote: »

So does paying someone cash in hand (like the builder mentioned previously) count, since it is the person you are paying that is evading tax if they don't declare it. Otherwise if you have never been self employed there is a good chance the answer will be never, not because you are honest but not had the chance.

Paying cash in hand doesn't necessarily mean anyone has evaded tax, just like it doesn't automatically mean you are paying for stolen goods. Asking for a receipt and a written guarantee should root out the most obvious chancers.

The most common form of basic tax evasion that I can think of is by people who are NOT self employed - people on benefits working from home or 'on the side' and conveniently forgetting that they are supposed to DECLARE ALL INCOME, or employed people subsidising their main income without declaring any of it. But what about some of the legal methods used by many, such as those on the higher rate income tax banding? They can 'avoid' paying the 40% income tax by 'protecting' huge chunks of their salaries in pension funds. Like I said before, 'avoidance' isn't the same as 'evasion'. I think it's the legalities we are looking at here and there are plenty of people about who simply do not know legal from illegal when it comes to tax laws.

RickMave

The usual rule applies with regard to tax avoidance/evasion. The more HMRC target people to pay more tax, the harder people resist, the more difficult it becomes for HMRC to prosecute the individuals, the more expensive it is deemed to combat the problem, and the end result is that the profit/loss relating to HMRC's desire to increase tax revenues worsens.

The vast majority of people are honest citizens who want to pay their rightful amount of tax. The problem is that HMRC tend to treat them as criminals, and invariably that leads to otherwise honest citizens saying "sod this, I might as well be dishonest then". The back street cash-in-hand traders benefit, HMRC/VAT lose out big time, and the nett result of HMRC applying draconian powers is a massive loss to the economy.

And we also end up with a bigger percentage of the UK population who are not gainfully employed in the public state machine, increasing our taxes.

I can only hope that the UK electorate are now rising from their slumber and will inflict the necessary defeat on the current government to turn this situation around. The current mob have stolen your pension pots guys, wrecked the economy, put your taxes up massively, and created a state where being a single Mum which depends upon state handouts is the most profitable living you can make.

Rick

sdooley

Actually Rick, I find that the vast majority of HMRC staff go out of their way to be helpful if you call them to make sure you are getting it right in the first place. I am obviously not talking about tax avoidance here!

People get burnt when they keep their heads in the sand and ignore the letters, the requests for information, the time passing and the interest and penalties ticking up.