Tax Rebellion in the UK.

[Trik'Stari]

So, this might not seem technology related at first, but it is. Mainly because it stands to primarily effect some of the largest corporations with operations in the UK. Namely companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook.

 

So basically, a group of small businesses in the Welsh city of Crickhowell have decided to ban together, and use all of the tactics used by giant corporations, to avoid paying taxes. Not because they don't want to pay taxes, but because they want to draw attention to the fact that some of them pay more in taxes than some billion dollar a year corporations. Specifically, they want these giant corporations to pay taxes like everyone else has to.

 

 

Crickhowell residents want to share their tax avoidance plan with other towns, in a bid to force the Treasury into legislation to crack down on loopholes which allowed the likes of Amazon to pay just £11.9m of tax last year on £5.3bn of UK internet sales.

 

A town dominated by independent businesses, some of which have been passed down three generations, Crickhowell traders recently fought off a high street planning application from a large supermarket chain.

 

In the BBC2 documentary, The Town that Went Offshore, the residents express their anger at companies including Caffé Nero, which has not paid corporation tax in the UK since 2008, despite recording sales worth £1.2 billion.

 

To me, it seems completely fair for these people to do what gigantic corporations do. So long as it draws attention to the fact that things like this can happen.

 

 

a Crickhowell coffee shop owner Steve said: “I have always paid every penny of tax I owe, and I don’t object to that. What I object to is paying my full tax when my big name competitors are doing the damnedest to dodge theirs.” One of the town’s traders discovered that he paid seven times more in corporation tax than Facebook, which paid less than £5,000 in the UK last year.

 

As an American, I also enjoy the irony of the idea of a "tax rebellion in the UK". But seriously, I applaud these business owners. They're putting their governments back against the wall. If the government tries to stop them, it's an obvious move to protect their corporate masters, and if they break down and actually tax these companies making ridiculous amounts of profit, then they lose all their delicious corporate funding.

 

I love this story.

 

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crickhowell-welsh-town-moves-offshore-to-avoid-tax-on-local-business-a6728971.html

[thekeemo]

Finally tax companies like they should

USA please follow suit if this goes through

[Admiral Naismith]

As an American I find the irony... Delicious, like this popcorn.

I also find the little guy sticking it to corporations... Delicious, like this popcorn.

[Trik'Stari]

Finally tax companies like they should

USA please follow suit if this goes through

I'm sure they already have safeguards in place for shit like this. Remember, all the egregious corporate shit in the world, pretty much starts in the US

 

-snip

As an American I find the irony... Delicious, like this popcorn.

 

Is it not just me that finds that ironic? People being pushed to the limit by taxes? In the UK?

[thekeemo]

I'm sure they already have safeguards in place for shit like this. Remember, all the egregious corporate shit in the world, pretty much starts in the US

Impossible.. we are agreeing on something.

 

EDIT:

must not attack guy underneath me..

[AresKrieger]

The corporate tax rate in the US is too high but has loopholes, solution lower it to 25% but remove all exemptions

[Albatross]

Good for them! I hope their movement is successful.

[Trik'Stari]

Impossible.. we are agreeing on something.

I've learned a few things over the years.

 

The corporate tax rate in the US is too high but has loopholes, solution lower it to 25% but remove all exemptions

Or just eliminate the loop holes all together, tell the giant corporations to f**k off, and also require that a percentage of their profit margins be divided equally amongst their employees. That way NOTHING they do can make them more money, without making more for their employees. They can up prices, but then if profits go up, so does the money their employees receive from the profit margin.

 

This has the advantage over minimum wage, because when you raise minimum wage companies just raise prices to offset that extra cost.

[thekeemo]

I've learned a few things over the years.

 

Or just eliminate the loop holes all together, tell the giant corporations to f**k off, and also require that a percentage of their profit margins be divided equally amongst their employees. That way NOTHING they do can make them more money. They can up prices, but then if profits go up, so does the money their employees receive from the profit margin.

Man, you have evolved....

[AresKrieger]

I've learned a few things over the years.

 

Or just eliminate the loop holes all together, tell the giant corporations to f**k off, and also require that a percentage of their profit margins be divided equally amongst their employees. That way NOTHING they do can make them more money. They can up prices, but then if profits go up, so does the money their employees receive from the profit margin.

They'd just go else where, like Canada for instance with burger king, I don't like companies but 40% is kinda steep

[Trik'Stari]

Man, you have evolved....

I'm still in favor of a free market economy, but I want some rules in place where the ridiculous profits that companies make, are directly distributed to the people who you know....actually do the work.

 

It's not a limit on business, just a mandate that people make a decent living. The better off a company does, the better off the employees should be.

 

They'd just go else where, like Canada for instance with burger king, I don't like companies but 40% is kinda steep

 

Oh, I forgot. If the company says "screw that, we're moving all our business to China", we take away all their copyright holdings, PERMANENTLY. Sure, they can still sell things here in the US, but so can anyone else, without having to give them bullshit royalties.

 

Then, we would have what a capitalist economy is supposed to be. A competitive environment.

[dizmo]

It's true, doesn't Apple avoid paying the US Government tax in much the same way?

Yet law makers have no one but themselves to blame. They can button up the loopholes. No one else can.

[KemoKa]

Man, you have evolved....

Would you like to give a nickname to the newly evolved TRIK'STARI?      

[Albatross]

Too bad this is going to be almost impossible to pull off. Not when the government or leading powers have their hands (or interests) in the pockets of the problematic companies.

[thekeemo]

It's true, doesn't Apple avoid paying the US Government tax in much the same way?

Yet law makers have no one but themselves to blame. They can button up the loopholes. No one else can.

Basically every large corporation/rich person ever does.

[thekeemo]

Would you like to give a nickname to the newly evolved TRIK'STARI?      

Movin' on up'stari

[Trik'Stari]

Too bad this is going to be almost impossible to pull off. Not when the government or leading powers have their hands (or interests) in the pockets of the problematic companies.

If they move to stop them, it would essentially be a public admission of corruption that NO ONE could deny.

[KemoKa]

Too bad this is going to be almost impossible to pull off. Not when the government or leading powers have their hands (or interests) in the pockets of the problematic companies.

They have their hands in the pockets of the companies, whereas the companies have their hands stuffed up the asses of the government leaders, working the controls.

[Trik'Stari]

Movin' on up'stari

Again, I'm not for higher taxes. I don't want these corporations paying the government "legitimately", I want them paying people who work for a living, as well as buy things.

[KemoKa]

If they move to stop them, it would essentially be a public admission of corruption that NO ONE could deny.

But you can be damn sure that they'll try.

 

Fuck the world.

[AresKrieger]

It's true, doesn't Apple avoid paying the US Government tax in much the same way?

Yet law makers have no one but themselves to blame. They can button up the loopholes. No one else can.

Apple Has Twice As Much Cash As The US Government

[thekeemo]

Again, I'm not for higher taxes. I don't want these corporations paying the government "legitimately", I want them paying people who work for a living, as well as buy things.

Which is why its movin' on up'stari not moved on up'stari

[Trik'Stari]

But you can be damn sure that they'll try.

 

Fuck the world.

True.

 

I'm still all for dragging our "representatives" out of their offices, and exiling them to deserts or something. Or forcing them to lives as homeless people the rest of their lives.

 

Which is why its movin' on up'stari not moved on up'stari

 

Paying people who work, fuels the economy (and thus society). Paying taxes, fuels government waste.

[thekeemo]

Apple Has Twice As Much Cash As The US Government

The US gov has -$18B so its alot more than that..

Edit: actually it would be less than two because you would be dividing by a negative number.

[KemoKa]

True.

 

I'm still all for dragging our "representatives" out of their offices, and exiling them to deserts or something. Or forcing them to lives as homeless people the rest of their lives.

Let's send our lawmakers to the slums where their laws apply. And let's send our politicians to fight their wars their own damn selves. I can think of nothing more suitable. They deserve nothing less. Probably more, actually.