Protest at U2's tax exile status

tallus

tbh, who gives a fiddlers ****.
It's their money.
Why piss and moan about someone being clever about not paying tax ?
If I could get away with paying tax I'd do the same

Max Factor

Downloaded the album and left the following remark.

"Thanks Bono you tax avoiding ****"

Felt good

tallus

Max Factor wrote: »

Downloaded the album and left the following remark.

"Thanks Bono you tax avoiding ****"

Felt good

I'm sure he's crying into his huge piles of money

ODS

The poor tax fugitive has been hurt by recent criticism. Doesn't say though whether he intends to return his tax status - funny that :rolleyes:



Bono 'hurt' by criticism of U2 move to Netherlands to cut tax


BRIAN BOYD

U2 SINGER Bono says he was “stung” and “hurt” by criticism of the band moving part of its business to the Netherlands to lessen its tax burden.

In an interview in The Ticket today, he speaks about the band’s 2006 decision to move part of its business out of Ireland following the Government’s decision to put a cap on the amount of tax-free earnings available to artists.

U2’s move was criticised by politicians and some development groups. “We pay millions and millions of dollars in tax. The thing that stung us [about the criticism] was the accusation of hypocrisy for my work as an activist,” the singer says.

He suggests there is a double standard involved in welcoming international investment in financial services in Ireland while criticising Irish entities that operate abroad.

“I can understand how people outside the country wouldn’t understand how Ireland got to its prosperity but everybody in Ireland knows that there are some very clever people in the Government and in the Revenue who created a financial architecture that prospered the entire nation – it was a way of attracting people to this country who wouldn’t normally do business here,” he says. “And the financial services brought billions of dollars every year directly to the exchequer.

“What’s actually hypocritical is the idea that then you couldn’t use a financial services centre in Holland. The real question people need to ask about Ireland’s tax policy is: ‘Was the nation a net gain benefactor?’ And of course it was – hugely so.”

The cap of €250,000 on tax-free incomes for artists was introduced in 2006 by then minister for finance Brian Cowen. A tax exemption scheme for artists had originally been introduced in 1969 by the minister for finance at that time, Charles Haughey.

As a very high-grossing act through album sales, tour receipts and publishing/royalties income, the cap imposed in 2006 would have left the band with a multimillion tax bill.

As an activist who has access to world leaders, Bono has called for the developed world to lighten Africa’s debt burden, combat poverty, promote fair trade and increase funds in the battle against Africa’s Aids pandemic. His work has been recognised by three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and a “Nobel Man of Peace” prize. Two years ago the singer was awarded a knighthood in the British honours list.

Speaking about a Christian Aid report from two years ago which criticised him for “tax avoidance”, the singer says: “It hurts when the criticism comes in internationally. But I can’t speak up without betraying my relationship with the band – so you take the ****. People who don’t know our music – it’s very easy for them to take a position on us – they run with the stereotypes and caricature of us.”

For the band’s guitarist, The Edge, the band’s tax affairs are “our own private thing – we do business all over the world, we pay taxes all over the world and we are totally tax compliant”. The guitarist added that due to the recession, the plan by himself and Bono to redevelop their Clarence Hotel in Dublin and the band’s plan to build a “U2 Tower” on Britain Quay in the city’s docklands were now “on hold” and “being looked at with a much colder eye”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0227/1224241894634.html

Degsy

ODS wrote: »

the plan by himself and Bono to redevelop their Clarence Hotel in Dublin and the band’s plan to build a “U2 Tower” on Britain Quay in the city’s docklands were now “on hold” and “being looked at with a much colder eye”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0227/1224241894634.html

Trying to save a bit of money now that property development is no longer the get rich quick scheme it once was.

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

Degsy

ziggy wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

These puffed-up tools only ever bleat on about the Third World and its problems,they never address domestic issues.
Why wasnt Boner lecturing the government on its disasterous economic situation?
Why wasnt he donating his wealth to fund job creation and hel;p Irish people?
Because he's a bloody hypocrite who is scared shiitless he'll be asked to put his hand into his pocket for once..

Dub13

So nobody has answered the question,was there many at this Protest..?

Degsy

Dub13 wrote: »

So nobody has answered the question,was there many at this Protest..?

ICTU reckon 100,000 or so

stick-dan

So we work for pittance and lose our wages through a 1% page stop and then through pension levy's aswell and these puffs just skive away with it. It's a sham! all one big sham.

Degsy

stick-dan wrote: »

So we work for pittance and lose our wages through a 1% page stop and then through pension levy's aswell and these puffs just skive away with it. It's a sham! all one big sham.

And they're not the only ones doing it..look at that mulleted wanker Micheal flatley..he lives abroad to avoid paying tax too.
Lord of the dance my arse.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Degsy wrote: »

These puffed-up tools only ever bleat on about the Third World and its problems,they never address domestic issues.
Why wasnt Boner lecturing the government on its disasterous economic situation?
Why wasnt he donating his wealth to fund job creation and hel;p Irish people?
Because he's a bloody hypocrite who is scared shiitless he'll be asked to put his hand into his pocket for once..

Why should he have to pay for anyone? Why should he have to share his riches? Communism? GTFO.

Degsy wrote: »

And they're not the only ones doing it..look at that mulleted wanker Micheal flatley..he lives abroad to avoid paying tax too.
Lord of the dance my arse.

God forbid anybody living abroad... it wouldn't have anything to do with people liking the country they live in? There is no problem with living abroad... ffs... get a clue.

ODS

Presley Damaged Scout wrote: »

God forbid anybody living abroad... it wouldn't have anything to do with people liking the country they live in? There is no problem with living abroad... ffs... get a clue.

They travel on an Irish passport; in the US if you do not want to pay your taxes and become a tax fugitive, that's fine - but just don't expect them to afford you the rights of a US citizenry such as being able to travel on a US passport.

It should be the same here. Let lord bono go off and get a passport from the UK seeing that they're so keen to honour him, or perhaps from Netherlands seeing that's where he pays his taxes.

Hope they've a world class health system available to all in Netherlands:mad:

Degsy

Presley Damaged Scout wrote: »

Why should he have to pay for anyone? Why should he have to share his riches? Communism? GTFO.



God forbid anybody living abroad... it wouldn't have anything to do with people liking the country they live in? There is no problem with living abroad... ffs... get a clue.

He's supposedly Irish,let him pay his taxes like other irish people.
Oh yeah,and stop carping about the third world..we dont care anymore.

hill16dub

IRMA (THE LTTLE GROUP OF NOBODIES) are trying to ban the priatebay by threatening every irish ISP provider in ireland while the people they represent try to dodge paying tax even though they are worth 200Million

NOW THAT BL$$%EN IRONY

Only in Ireland would you see the largest telephone company in the country bow to a group of nobodies and try and censor the general public


THIS COUNTRY IS CLASS

U2 and Eircom out two biggest asses, sorry assets

10000maniacs

vinylbomb wrote: »

This is amusing enough, there's one thing for certain about the little fella, for a small package he's divisive!

Have to get my tuppence in about this though


This is twaddle. Totally. And misses the point of the argument on an individual level.
The tax take difference off a €200 euro shopping trolley is not why people go north. Its because the prices are that much cheaper in real terms. If it was a case of a 5% real difference in price then people wouldnt bother, they would pay the tax, simply cos we are a lazy shower.


Now, in the case of U2, the PAYE take from €100 million could be 30-odd million. Average randomers don't have the luxury of being able to move around the globe to the most favorable regime. Most people don't give a **** where U2 do their shopping, but they do care about the band showing flagrant disregard for PAYE (distancing themselves from the general populace in the process), then touting themselves as average joes.

I have no personal issue with their decision on a business level, it makes sense. I'm trying to paint the situation objectively.


Bono's mock piousness does my head alright, but thats for a different thread!

Ok, heres a better argument. Do you agree with companies like Intel, Microsoft, Google setting up in Ireland as opposed to their home country, because the tax breaks here are amazing compared to anywhere else. What about unenployment in the States?
This is in essence what U2 has done.
But the likes of Intel, Microsoft, Google provide much needed employment here so its OK. But its not OK for U2 to do exactly the same thing.
So can I add to my list:
Anybody who agrees that U2 are wrong for moving their company to Holland, and works in any Multinational company availing of substantial tax breaks is a hypocrite.
And anybody who who agrees that U2 are wrong for moving their company to Holland, and did their Christmas shopping in Northern Ireland is also a hypocrite.

asdasd

Jesus but the idiocy continues. this was answered very well in letter to the Indo today.

U2 as a band can make their own decisions about tax, but if Bono the campaigner is to maintain credibility he needs to pay his full share of tax in this country. Personally I would like the Irish Government honouring the promises made in our name regarding foreign aid, but I’m getting tired of lectures about charity from some very rich people who go to great lengths to avoid paying tax in Ireland. – Yours, etc,

Nobody would give a **** if Bono was not campaigning to get more of our money to people who are poorer than we are, whilst making sure that his money is not going to people poorer than he is, including Africans ( but not limited to Africans either - poor people in Ireland, as well). Governments have to raise the tax which goes on foreign aid through tax, after all. Bono demands they increase that aid, increasing the government's tax take on the PAYE sector.

And off he scarpers to Holland.

Fratton Fred

ziggy wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Yeah, I mean its not like Bill Gates avoids tax by using an Irish tax haven, donates loads of money to charity then tries to get world leaders to do the same is it?:rolleyes:

asdasd

Bill Gates avoids tax by using an Irish tax haven, donates loads of money to charity then tries to get world leaders to do the same is it?

Ok, there's two of them in it.

Thats a new bad argument. I shall call it Argument to Pluralism.

walshb

kevmy wrote: »

Bono gives plenty of money to charities himself so I don't see how U2 not paying tax here affects things in that regard.

How do you know he does; where's the proof that Bono donates money to charity?

I do know the creep lectures me and others to donate, but I don't know exactly
what he donates. He knows precisely what WE donate and he's part
of the begging

Fratton Fred

asdasd wrote: »

Ok, there's two of them in it.

Thats a new bad argument. I shall call it Argument to Pluralism.

So we will campaign to get microsoft to stop using ireland as a tax haven and get U2 to move back to Ireland. Good idea, that will really screw the Irish economy

eddie73

How many people does u2 employ in Holland?

I didnt know Bono and co still lived here in Ireland, where is the 'exile' in that?

Bono made the point that Haughey in 1969 created the tax amnesty on artists thereby creating a honeypot for creative people here and multinationals to follow these muses. Where specifically did this happen?
Was it not a case of multinationals availing of huge tax breaks irrespective of the artists. Bono and co imo had nothing to do with this economic trend.

I think if you study the issue, u2 made it by being Irish and not the other way round as Adam Clayton would have you believe.

Fratton Fred

eddie73 wrote: »

How many people does u2 employ in Holland?

I didnt know Bono and co still lived here in Ireland, where is the 'exile' in that?

Bono made the point that Haughey in 1969 created the tax amnesty on artists thereby creating a honeypot for creative people here and multinationals to follow these muses. Where specifically did this happen?
Was it not a case of multinationals availing of huge tax breaks irrespective of the artists. Bono and co imo had nothing to do with this economic trend.

I think if you study the issue, u2 made it by being Irish and not the other way round as Adam Clayton would have you believe.

i think, off the top of my head, that the tax breaks apply to material that is copyrighted. This would include software so sales of software attract the same levels of tax that the sales of music and paintings do.

Microsoft have two very large companies based in Ireland that sell 100s of millions € worth of software but is based in a solicitors office in Dublin and employs only a few people. The set up in Sandyford is only a small part of the MS tax haven.

justcallmetex

Not to mention Bono seems to be hanging out with he wrong sort Bohemian Grove and the likes.

Fighting Irish

Like every single person on boards wouldn't do this

Fair play to U2 for saying "fook you" to the irish gov when most other people would just pay and then bitch between themselves

eddie73

I disagree, u2 are not rebelling against the Irish government out of some sort of principle, they are avoiding tax because they dont want to pay it and have it for themselves themselves. Adan Clayton and co are riding the system.

walshb

Fighting Irish wrote: »

Like every single person on boards wouldn't do this

Fair play to U2 for saying "fook you" to the irish gov when most other people would just pay and then bitch between themselves

That's all well and good, but to then be lecturing our
govt on our overseas aid commitements is pure hypocrisy and
a sign of a real w a n k e r! The cheek of the git!

FlutterinBantam

Exactly B. Bono should shut the fcuk up or walk the walk.

Nobody but nobody is fooled.

Was encouraging people to vote in some election years ago, and was photographed coming out of the Shelbourne having not voted himself.


Who the fcuk do you think we are you gob****e.

Terry

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Exactly B. Bono should shut the fcuk up or walk the walk.

Nobody but nobody is fooled.

Was encouraging people to vote in some election years ago, and was photographed coming out of the Shelbourne having not voted himself.


Who the fcuk do you think we are you gob****e.

Bono's protestant. He's only allowed to vote in local elections.

10000maniacs

Terry wrote: »

Bono's protestant. He's only allowed to vote in local elections.

You are kidding?
Only Protestent families who took the soup cannot vote.:D
I'm Protestant and can vote in the general election.