Bono slated by New Internationalist

luckat · 01-12-2008 09:33AM #1

Social justice magazine The New Internationalist has awarded Bono its top spot in a piece about tax inequality:

http://www.newint.org/features/2008/10/01/tax-justice/

Bono - You too

Irish minstrel and anti-poverty campaigner Bono joined the band of celebrity tax dodgers (which includes the Rolling Stones) in 2006, when it was revealed that his band U2 had moved its royalty income from Ireland to the Netherlands. For many years Ireland had famously not taxed the income of ‘artists’. Then the Government decided to set a cap of $200,000 a year – a fortune for most artists, but not for U2. Ireland is itself a corporate tax haven. But the Netherlands offered a more competitive deal, partly through its link with the Antilles. Another band member, The Edge, pleaded: ‘Who doesn’t want to be tax efficient?’

Bono once told a prayer breakfast in the US attended by President Bush: ‘Withholding life-saving medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents... that’s a justice issue.’ Withholding tax payments that might also have helped to make life-saving medicines available to people with no money, out of deference to tax efficiency, is no less obviously a ‘justice issue’. But then, Bono knows all about justice issues. At the time he was taking his former stylist, Lola Cashman, to court, claiming that she had stolen a trademark Stetson hat from him.

Kiera · 01-12-2008 09:39AM

I hate Bono!

thebman · 01-12-2008 09:45AM

We all hate Bono but we all avoid paying tax where possible.

The real problem with Bono is he tells everyone else not to do this making a hypocrite which is what makes the people that defend him even worse than him.

super_furry · 01-12-2008 10:00AM

Bono is a twat. The end.

Jesus Wept · 01-12-2008 10:00AM

brim4brim wrote: »

We all hate Bono.

No.

brim4brim wrote: »

The real problem with Bono is he tells everyone else not to do this

When? Quote?

brim4brim wrote: »

making a hypocrite which is what makes the people that defend him even worse than him.

:rolleyes:

Most of us with any sense avoid tax.

Tax avoidance and Tax evasion. The difference is key.

Terry · 01-12-2008 10:01AM

That Bono fecker never did anything for this country.

super_furry · 01-12-2008 10:02AM

And I bet he does his shopping in Newry!

Jesus Wept · 01-12-2008 10:05AM

super_furry wrote: »

And I bet he does his shopping in Newry!

I'd say he robs stuff from sweat shops.

Terry · 01-12-2008 10:06AM

The-Rigger wrote: »

I'd say he robs stuff from sweat shops.

And beats up the owners and then kneecaps them.

He really is a bad bastard.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 01-12-2008 10:47AM

And his music is shít as well.

lostexpectation · 01-12-2008 10:49AM

don't you nkow he solve peace in northern ireland

Earthhorse · 01-12-2008 11:21AM

lostexpectation wrote: »

don't you nkow he solve peace in northern ireland

He solved the peace?

That idiot. Didn't he know that's what we wanted?

MizzLolly · 01-12-2008 12:03PM

I met Bono's mam a while back!

I like Bono

thebman · 01-12-2008 12:06PM

The-Rigger wrote: »

Most of us with any sense avoid tax.

Tax avoidance and Tax evasion. The difference is key.

Eh and you don't think his avoidence looks a lot like a legal loophole that allows him to evade being taxed in Ireland?

He has said the government need to give more of our tax in aid while he avoids tax here as much as possible because he can get a better rate elsewhere.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1525823/U2-move-their-assets-out-of-Ireland.html

Basically the Irish should pay more in aid even though he won't contribute and wants to avoid paying tax here but live here and tell our government to give more aid to other countries when the government gets its money from the tax payers (ie. myself and others like me) so yeah I would classify that as a hypocrite.

Joan Burton, Irish Labour's finance spokesman, said: "Having listened to Bono on the necessity for the Irish Government to give more money to Ireland Aid, of which I approve, I am surprised that U2 are not prepared to contribute to the Exchequer on a fair basis along with the bulk of Irish taxpayers.

I can't believe anyone would actually stand up for this fookwit TBH.

Terry · 01-12-2008 12:07PM

MizzLolly wrote: »

I met Bono's mam a while back!

I like Bono

Really?

Do you often meet dead people?
I've a few questions I'd like to ask that Hitler fellow.

MizzLolly · 01-12-2008 12:09PM

Terry wrote: »

Really?

Do you often meet dead people?
I've a few questions I'd like to ask that Hitler fellow.

What? Is his mam dead? :eek:

I can't believe it!!!!!!!! :eek:

That woman said, ''you know what else dear, I'm Bonos mum''

:eek:

The Liar!! :mad:

stovelid · 01-12-2008 12:10PM

lostexpectation wrote: »

don't you nkow he solve peace in northern ireland

He cured all that Apart-tate nonsense in Africa as well.

Terry · 01-12-2008 12:11PM

brim4brim wrote: »

Eh and you don't think his avoidence looks a lot like a legal loophole that allows him to evade being taxed in Ireland?

He has said the government need to give more of our tax in aid while he avoids tax here as much as possible because he can get a better rate elsewhere.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1525823/U2-move-their-assets-out-of-Ireland.html

Basically the Irish should pay more in aid even though he won't contribute and wants to avoid paying tax here but live here and tell our government to give more aid to other countries when the government gets its money from the tax payers (ie. myself and others like me) so yeah I would classify that as a hypocrite.

I can't believe anyone would actually stand up for this fookwit TBH.

Telegraph wrote:

The band, fronted by Bono, the anti-poverty campaigner, has reportedly transferred some of its publishing company to Holland.

I also heard that he eats African babies.

Terry · 01-12-2008 12:14PM

MizzLolly wrote: »

What? Is his mam dead? :eek:

I can't believe it!!!!!!!! :eek:

That woman said, ''you know what else dear, I'm Bonos mum''

:eek:

The Liar!! :mad:

Wikipedia wrote:

Bono was 14 when his mother died on 10 September 1974 after suffering a cerebral aneurysm at her father's funeral.[2] Many songs from U2's albums, including "I Will Follow", "Mofo", "Out of Control", "Lemon" and "Tomorrow", focus on the loss of his mother.[20][21][2][22]

I'm fairly sure she's dead.

Das Kitty · 01-12-2008 12:14PM

MizzLolly wrote: »

What? Is his mam dead? :eek:

I can't believe it!!!!!!!! :eek:

That woman said, ''you know what else dear, I'm Bonos mum''

:eek:

The Liar!! :mad:

That was Bono, trying to get you to like him by dressing up as his own Mam.

Does the man have no shame!!??

MizzLolly · 01-12-2008 12:16PM

Terry wrote: »

I'm fairly sure she's dead.

Das Kitty wrote: »

That was Bono, trying to get you to like him by dressing up as his own Mam.

Does the man have no shame!!??

:eek: :eek:

I actually can't believe it!!

Why am I so gullible..?

Fratton Fred · 01-12-2008 12:16PM

The bastard, how on earth will our TDs and public servant fatcats be able to afford €400 beauty treatments without his dosh?

I bet Bono still pays more in tax in Ireland than JP McManus, John Magnier and Dennis O'Brien put together.

Prisoner6409 · 01-12-2008 12:18PM

I love U2 and did have tons of repect for Bono and the lads untill he made himself a tax exile. As someone has said we all like to pay as little tax as possible but in Bono's case, number 1, he is already megga rich, it's not like he needs the extra few bob and 2 and the worst, he(U2) enjoyed significant tax breaks starting out by the Irish ppl when all the rest of us paye workers were being fleeced and now when he is making it big he becomes a tax exile, pure greed and shows no gratitude for the tax breaks given to him when he probably needed it most or when it mattered most. No, Bono just comes across as a hyprocite these days.

Terry · 01-12-2008 12:21PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

The bastard, how on earth will our TDs and public servant fatcats be able to afford €400 beauty treatments without his dosh?

I bet Bono still pays more in tax in Ireland than JP McManus, John Magnier and Dennis O'Brien put together.

No way. There's not a chance in hell he pays any tax at all here.
I have no proof of that, but he (on his own. Nobody else involved in this) moved one of his businesses to The Netherlands, so it's possibly true.

Sure that stetson hat wasn't even a real stetson.

Fratton Fred · 01-12-2008 12:24PM

Terry wrote: »

No way. There's not a chance in hell he pays any tax at all here.
I have no proof of that, but he moved one of his businesses to The Netherlands, so it's possibly true.

Sure that stetson hat wasn't even a real stetson.

I bet he doesn't even employ anyone as well.:)

4zn76tysfajdxp · 01-12-2008 12:28PM

Terry wrote: »

Really?

Do you often meet dead people?
I've a few questions I'd like to ask that Hitler fellow.

He probably doesn't pay tax for all the Nazi stuff they sell in Dublin either.

Earthhorse · 01-12-2008 12:31PM

If you rearrange the letters in his name you get noob.

Stupid n00b.

pwd · 01-12-2008 12:36PM

b0n0

Jesus Wept · 01-12-2008 12:38PM

MizzLolly wrote: »

:eek: :eek:

I actually can't believe it!!

Why am I so gullible..?

Ah don't be so harsh on yourself.

Would you like to buy some magic beans btw? They're magic.

Earthhorse wrote: »

If you rearrange the letters in his name you get noob.

Stupid n00b.

I don't think it's actually his name. :P

super_furry · 01-12-2008 12:40PM

Terry wrote: »

I'm fairly sure she's dead.

So he killed her aswell? What a twat.

super_furry · 01-12-2008 12:41PM

Earthhorse wrote: »

If you rearrange the letters in his name you get noob.

Stupid n00b.

You also get

boon

. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Boon_series_1_title.jpg

Bono slated by New Internationalist

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