Terence Eden’s Blog

The Chancellor of the Exchequer doesn't understand Tax Law

FoI GE2024 politics tax · 5 comments · 500 words · Viewed ~237 times

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Freedom of Information law is brilliant! It allows ordinary people to ask questions of the powerful and get solid answers. Sometimes these questions are sensible and journalistic. Sometimes they're vexatious. Sometimes they're a little silly. The silly ones can be fun to answer. It's a good chance for a politician to show their human side. It's pretty hard to get wrong. I mean, unless the…

Why Can't I Pay Tax Only On My Profits?

fair google hmrc justice student loans tax taxation · 5 comments · 500 words · Viewed ~454 times

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King of Google Eric Schmidt has written in The Guardian about how unfair it is that people don't think Google pay a fair share of taxes. He makes three pretty good points. Companies only pay tax on their profits. Politicians shouldn't make laws with loopholes. International laws need harmonisation. I agree with his second two points - although no-one is forcing Google to exploit …

Who Funds The TaxPayer's Alliance?

tax taxpayers alliance tpa · 7 comments · 650 words · Viewed ~2,601 times

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One of the first rules of setting up a political lobby group is that you should have a name which defies opposition. Who in their right mind would be against "Citizens For Prosperity" or "The People's Democratic Society" or "Ministry of Peace" - why only a violent Communist! That's who! It is this spirit that the "TaxPayers' Alliance" was named. We're all tax payers, aren't we? It's so wide a…