Disguised Remuneration. Any Sympathy?

[mercalia]

Disguised Remuneration

The BBC managed to explain clearly what it involved -

This is where the agency employing them diverts most of their pay to an offshore trust, then the trust gives them a loan which they typically don't have to pay back - and on which tax is only payable at around 1-2%.



Any sensible and inteligent person should have realised it was atleast sailing very close to the wind and not take part?

So I dont have any sympathy for those caught out. do you?

loan charge

Atleast Brutal Osborne was consistant in not only going after those in receipt of benefits

The Treasury has said it is too late to go after the promoters of the schemes, many of whom made large profits, or the accountants who recommended them

Why? Easy? "who has your accountant who advised you?" It seems to me they want to go after the small fish not the bigs ones? Put in prison a few accountants and advisers, yeh!

[pwa]

No. If it ain't available to the folk cleaning the office it shouldn't be available to those at the top.

[pete75]

No. If it ain't available to the folk cleaning the office it shouldn't be available to those at the top.

That is not how the UK works. Never has and never will.

[reohn2]

No. If it ain't available to the folk cleaning the office it shouldn't be available to those at the top.

That is not how the UK works. Never has and never will.

+1,though I'd like to think there can be some justice....

[Carlton green]

I have little to no sympathy for those that deliberately and actively evade paying taxes, and particularly so large companies. Perhaps I’m incorrect but I believe that the likes of Amazon, ebay, and Facebook do not pay ‘correct’ taxes on U.K. earned income, IMHO those big hitters cost the public purse far more than the folk mentioned in the OP.

From what I remember of the OP and BBC investigation folk at all levels of society were involved or drawn into the scheme. At a time of mass unemployment I do have some sympathy for some of the poorer people who were told that they had the choice to either accept payment by the loan method or find work elsewhere. Yes, they should have known better but desperate times require desperate measures; theft is theft but I’d find it hard to judge someone who commits seemingly victimless theft to put food on their table and a roof over his or her family’s head.

IIRC HMRC did have some knowledge that the scheme was being used and at the time were slow to act. Few things in life are clearly and completely wrong or right; history, society and situation colours all things.

[pwa]

Already wealthy people ducking and diving to avoid putting money into hospitals and schools is a sickening spectacle. I don't care how legal it is. It is legal to be selfish, I know that. Can it be rectified? I don't know, maybe not. But I don't like it and I have no respect for those involved in it. And the sight of those same individuals donning a red nose and dancing with Pudsey is just a sick joke.

[100%JR]

We're taxed to the hilt on everything.If someone can get away with paying less tax then good luck to them.I know I would if I could.

[Syd]

We're taxed to the hilt on everything.If someone can get away with paying less tax then good luck to them.I know I would if I could.

I worked for myself for a number of years in the late 90’s alongside a full time job. I know that for that five year period, I did not have to touch my salary, getting by on the income from self employment. Despite that, according to my accountant, I was running at a loss and therefore wasn’t liable for any additional tax or NI.

Do I feel guilty about it? Do I heck. I’ve never been unemployed and am most definitely a giver, not a taker, in the tax system.

[Oldjohnw]

How do we pay for roads, police, military, prisons, schools, healthcare, pensions?

[PH]

We're taxed to the hilt on everything.If someone can get away with paying less tax then good luck to them.I know I would if I could.

Who is the "we"?
The UK isn't as highly taxed as many other OECD countries. The argument that you don't like paying taxes so you're glad others are evading them makes no sense, you're effectively subsidising them.

[Syd]

Who is the "we"?
The UK isn't as highly taxed as many other OECD countries. The argument that you don't like paying taxes so you're glad others are avoiding them makes no sense, you're effectively subsidising them.

FTFY.

Disguised renumeration is described as a tax avoidance scheme (legal though, to many, morally questionable) rather than a tax evasion one (illegal).

[mercalia]

Who is the "we"?
The UK isn't as highly taxed as many other OECD countries. The argument that you don't like paying taxes so you're glad others are avoiding them makes no sense, you're effectively subsidising them.

FTFY.

Disguised renumeration is described as a tax avoidance scheme (legal though, to many, morally questionable) rather than a tax evasion one (illegal).

except it dont work as the tax man is after the users of it

[Bonefishblues]

Who is the "we"?
The UK isn't as highly taxed as many other OECD countries. The argument that you don't like paying taxes so you're glad others are avoiding them makes no sense, you're effectively subsidising them.

FTFY.

Disguised renumeration is described as a tax avoidance scheme (legal though, to many, morally questionable) rather than a tax evasion one (illegal).

except it dont work as the tax man is after the users of it

HMRC will always push at the boundaries as will specialist tax advisors. Nothing unusual there.

[Graham]

Some of these schemes were deliberately defined in the "grey area" where the tax & N.I. liability were a matter of interpretation - in extremis, to be determined by decisions by a court.

There is a large element of trust in the payments of taxes. In the past, most people would pay their due amounts either because they had no other choice PAYE or in fear of a Tax Investigation.

As time past, we saw the rich & powerful getting away with tax avoidance & tax-dodging and the possibilities started to appear for the ordinary folk.

Some ordinary folk appear to have taken the risk.

I have no sympathy for those who knew full well what they were doing and the associated risks.
Some sympathy for those less aware who may have been manipulated into the danger zone.

The usual problems are how to distinguish between them ( = impossible ) and even if that could be done, in what way should they be treated differently ?

[pete75]

We're taxed to the hilt on everything.If someone can get away with paying less tax then good luck to them.I know I would if I could.

I worked for myself for a number of years in the late 90’s alongside a full time job. I know that for that five year period, I did not have to touch my salary, getting by on the income from self employment. Despite that, according to my accountant, I was running at a loss and therefore wasn’t liable for any additional tax or NI.

Do I feel guilty about it? Do I heck. I’ve never been unemployed and am most definitely a giver, not a taker, in the tax system.

Sounds like tax evasion.You were lucky not to be caught as clearly you weren't running at a loss.