comment by Coutinho's Happy Feet (U18971)
posted 11 hours, 2 minutes ago
comment by Passion Power -I'm a .....¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (U8398)
posted 27 minutes ago
comment by Coutinho's Happy Feet (U18971)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
"If Jeff Bezos has money for 5 generations then good on him, he's done so much for the world economy and mom & pop businesses in the US & UK.
Also a lot of these businesses give a lot to good causes"

This is no justification for avoiding paying the taxes he knows is due. I earn above the average wage, pay taxes and provide for my family, You are kidding yourself if you think tax avoidance is about anything other than greed.
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I disagree with illegally avoiding tax. Where did I say that he should avoid paying it?

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Him and Amazon are not evading paying their tax liability, which is illegal. They are using legal loopholes to avoid paying what is due. There's a difference between evasion and avoidance.
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So you are telling me that if your accountant says you can get yourself another £5K for your self assessment, doing this this and that (totally legal) you wouldn't do it?

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The issue of millionaires leaving the country of they're too heavily taxed has also been raised in Spain, but I remember reading/hearing a few years back that Sweden has some of the highest taxes on top-bracket incomes and that it hadn't meant a significant amount of people leaving to set up elsewhere.

Perhaps there's an individual sense of moral responsibility and duty towards society in some Scandinavian countries that doesn't exist in other parts of the world.

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comment by itsonlyagame (U6426)
posted 5 minutes ago
The issue of millionaires leaving the country of they're too heavily taxed has also been raised in Spain, but I remember reading/hearing a few years back that Sweden has some of the highest taxes on top-bracket incomes and that it hadn't meant a significant amount of people leaving to set up elsewhere.

Perhaps there's an individual sense of moral responsibility and duty towards society in some Scandinavian countries that doesn't exist in other parts of the world.

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A motion UK MEP's voted against for many years:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-4494_en.htm

About time, though I'm a bit skeptical.

EU President JC Juncker was the man who engineered Luxembourg's tax legislation, which allowed the government to agree secret tax deal with large corps and resulted in some of them paying as little as 1% tax I think.

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comment by itsonlyagame (U6426)
posted 8 minutes ago
About time, though I'm a bit skeptical.

EU President JC Juncker was the man who engineered Luxembourg's tax legislation, which allowed the government to agree secret tax deal with large corps and resulted in some of them paying as little as 1% tax I think.
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It was when he was the PM of Luxembourg. He was able to block EU tax transparency proposals. The Amazon deal was particularly dubious. Which is why anything purchased from Amazon, the cash goes through Luxembourg.

Hopefully with the additional tax avoidance proposals in the pipeline, there will be more accountability/transparency. Not that the UK will see any benefits from them as we look to become an offshore tax haven!

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comment by itsonlyagame (U6426)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
The issue of millionaires leaving the country of they're too heavily taxed has also been raised in Spain, but I remember reading/hearing a few years back that Sweden has some of the highest taxes on top-bracket incomes and that it hadn't meant a significant amount of people leaving to set up elsewhere.

Perhaps there's an individual sense of moral responsibility and duty towards society in some Scandinavian countries that doesn't exist in other parts of the world.

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Maybe because the tax isn't on businesses but on personal income, but if so. I would like to see the figures that are there for how much entrepreneurship is encouraged there.

Seems like we have stumbled across the dodgy tax rules we could go around. Precisely why I think Hillary's tax plans won't work in our country.

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Wow, that was quick. Guessing we are going to re-neg this on our own terms

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comment by Brightdave: (U11711)
posted 51 minutes ago
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38721056

Goodbye TPP! I had thought that the TPP was already heavily geared towards America's benefit so am surprised this got the chop. Going to be a really interesting time if he keeps on with his claims before the election. Could be a big shake-up in a lot of trade sectors with a lot of countries.
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Trump's decision has pretty much given China a free reign to reap the benefits of TPP for themselves. Australia will now also sign up.

It would have made much more economical sense for the US to flex it's financial muscles and renegotiate. But this is Trump...!

What is the US's loss will be Chinese gain.

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Bernie Sanders and Corbyn opposed the TPP.....even when poor Donald has a socialist moment, yeez slate him.

Next, you will say his hair is dodgy.

comment by Brightdave: (U11711)
posted 2 minutes ago
Stuart, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think China was included in this.

I'm based in Oz and I think they had a separate trade deal in the works simultaneously. Most Ozzies didn't want it before despite the government's insistence on it as there was talk it was too favourable to the US.

You're spot on about missing out. If Trump upsets too many countries trade deals with the US, China will try to jump on every gap created.
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Yeah, China chose not to get involved/were excluded (depending on who you believe!) and had been watching in the wings. Probably to observe it's execution.

Inconceivable now the US have opted out they won't get involved as they'd be the biggest fish in the pond.

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comment by thebluebellsareblue (U9292)
posted 12 seconds ago
Bernie Sanders and Corbyn opposed the TPP.....even when poor Donald has a socialist moment, yeez slate him.

Next, you will say his hair is dodgy.
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Decision was most likely made as Trump's vision for the US is one of protectionism. US manufacturered products, exclusively for the US.

Also signing up to TPP (like NAFTA and CAFTA) would mean the US agreeing to various environmental standards. Which as we now know Trump will no longer recognise the Paris climate agreement.

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