Vodafone Tax Dodge: £325m-a-year Irish office with NO STAFF

esteve

djpbarry wrote: »

It's not like there are not people, governments and probably even certain corporations who would be happy to see something being done, but there's no way tax havens would ever agree to any change - their economies would be destroyed. Hell, even the likes of the UK, heavily dependent on the tax haven that is London, would never agree to anything that could adversely impact on their own interests.

I see your point, but if money that should be paid as tax to the state, is being undisclosed and sent off to tax havens, this is simply not right. The fact that these places rely on this form of business is unfortunate, especially as it was not really their choice to begin with. I would imagine they would prefer an economy that is based on a real solid foundation, as oppossed to shady transactions involving the worlds elite, especially as these tax havens are hardly shining examples of fully developed and progressive societies. These places existed before they were made tax havens, and i imagine would find a way to exist after.

Nonetheless the point is that, an absolute massive amount of money, an estimated 1/3 of the entire planets domestic product is in offshore accounts, whereas it should be declared and the appropriate tax paid on it.

Corporations are only getting bigger and more powerful, which by that very right makes them less capitalistic, and instead more corporatistic. I agree with Capitalism, in its true sense, but not with this version that is being shoved down our throats.

djpbarry

esteve wrote: »

I see your point, but if money that should be paid as tax to the state, is being undisclosed and sent off to tax havens, this is simply not right.

I'm not suggesting it is. Whether it's being practiced by individuals or corporate entities, tax avoidance is not something I agree with. However, the only way around it is a common tax system on a global scale, where profits are taxed at x% everywhere - there's no way that's going to happen any time soon.

esteve wrote: »

The fact that these places rely on this form of business is unfortunate, especially as it was not really their choice to begin with. I would imagine they would prefer an economy that is based on a real solid foundation, as oppossed to shady transactions involving the worlds elite, especially as these tax havens are hardly shining examples of fully developed and progressive societies.

London? Monaco? Switzerland?

esteve

djpbarry wrote: »

I'm not suggesting it is. Whether it's being practiced by individuals or corporate entities, tax avoidance is not something I agree with. However, the only way around it is a common tax system on a global scale, where profits are taxed at x% everywhere - there's no way that's going to happen any time soon.

Agree, but there has to be a true incentive fo this to happen, of which, i dont believe there is. Why would any corporation want to pay more tax? How could you get to the board of directors and suggest this in a corporation, you would be ridiculed?!

djpbarry wrote: »

London? Monaco? Switzerland?

Im sorry, i did not make myself clear. I am not refering to the above places, as they are more than tax havens. London is one of the financial capitals of the world and capital city of the United Kingdom, Monaco is a wealthy monarchy, Switzerland is, well Switzerland, and always has been a traditionally very wealthy nation for obvious reasons.

I am referring to, for example, some Carribean islands, where an economy does and always has existed alongside as having the service of being a tax haven. But these are small islands, with relativley small populations, where massive amounts of money is being filtered. I dont think a lot of that money gets down to the average Carribean resident.

djpbarry

esteve wrote: »

London is one of the financial capitals of the world and capital city of the United Kingdom...

The City of London is a massive tax haven and has been for a very long time. How do you think it became such an influential financial hub? It's very naive to think that a tax haven cannot exist within the "developed" world.

A Dub in Glasgo

It is quite clear that the London financial district is a city within a city and is a tax haven. What is galling is the measures the British Government will go to protect tax havens whilst ensuring that everyone else picks up the slack from those tax havens. You must remember the motto though - 'We are all in this together' funny how that only works when the rich need a bailout or two.

Good loser

djpbarry wrote: »

The City of London is a massive tax haven and has been for a very long time. How do you think it became such an influential financial hub? It's very naive to think that a tax haven cannot exist within the "developed" world.

The IFSC is a tax haven? Massive?

A Dub in Glasgo

Yes the IFSC is a tax haven. As long as countries have a race to the bottom with respect to tax havens, society will not benefit

djpbarry

Good loser wrote: »

The IFSC is a tax haven? Massive?

The IFSC is not in London?

esteve

djpbarry wrote: »

The City of London is a massive tax haven and has been for a very long time. How do you think it became such an influential financial hub? It's very naive to think that a tax haven cannot exist within the "developed" world.

Please show me where I said this. I acknowledged London is a tax haven, but it is also the capital of Britain, the largest city in Europe blah blah blah. I never once said that a tax haven cannot exist within the developed world, so im at lenghts to see how you can draw such a conclusion. Other examples of tax havens in the developed world would be, Andorra, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Lichenstein. Okay that is enough of me defending something i never said. Reread my posts, it is perfectly clear what my point was.

djpbarry

esteve wrote: »

I acknowledged London is a tax haven, but it is also the capital of Britain...

I don't understand why you keep pointing that out?

I think I need to make the distinction between Greater London and The City of London - it is the latter that is regarded as a haven. London's economy is driven by The City and the UK's economy is heavily dependent on London (worryingly so, in fact). Even though its population is tiny, it's difficult to overstate the influence of 'The Square Mile' in British politics.

Peanut2011

Oracle wrote: »

We'll agree to disagree Valetta, I am castigating the companies who make billions in profits, yet go to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying their fair share of tax. There's a simple word for it GREED.

As lets also throw in the bond holders and all that!!!

Let's face it, these are businesses, they are there to make profit! They are doing all they can to maximise profit and minimise their expense. As long as they are doing it legally there is no problem.

Your grief should be with the government and Revenue for allowing such laws.

Than think again, if these companies did not have any incentive to be here would they ever even set up here in the first place.

What everyone fails to mention is the amount of money these companies hand over in wages and PRSI and all other taxes that their employees have. If they were not here in the first place who would have pick up that employment???

It certainly does not look right and when the country is broke people will see this as extraordinary problem, however this has to be put in prospective!

esteve

djpbarry wrote: »

I don't understand why you keep pointing that out?

I was simply repeating what i had already said, not to rehash the point, but to defend myself from your accusation.

I am perfectly aware of the City of London, and agree, it has a massive if not worrying powerhlod over the rest of Britain.

Anyway, my original point was that it has been established that taxable money, is being slipped away to tax havens, illegally, at the rate of one third of the domestic product of the entire planet. It is essentially being laundered, and nothing is being done about it.

micosoft

Oracle wrote: »

What's that got to do with it? You don't like the message so shoot the messenger.
QUOTE]

Because the Mail tells crude, "moralising", simplistic stories that are full of inaccuracies or straight out lies that are designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator by enraging them and getting them to feel that the "Man" whether that be "insert foreigners/ethnic group/other people here" are to blame for all of the worlds ills and the decline of "our great nation". The fact they have an Irish Edition whose primary difference is to take out the "Anti Irish" articles and replace with Africans or Eastern Europeans says everything about it.

The slightest amount of thought or digging would disprove the story or the logic behind it. You Sir fell for it hook, line and sinker. Hence the derision Daily Mail and it's readers deservedly receive.