Ken’s Tax Hypocrisy
Avoids Himself £1,000-a-Week in Tax
Following our revelation last week that Ken had a far-from-chicken-feed £319,478 tucked away in the bank, Andrew Gilligan has had an accountant take a look at the books. The left-wing accountant Richard Murphy, who usually writes for the Guardian, reckons that by rolling up his fees from Iranian Press TV and the like in his company, Livingstone has saved himself some £50,000 in one year alone. That tax saving works out at nearly a £1,000 a week.
All a bit rich from the man who poses as ‘Comrade Ken’ and warns that the “super-rich” are “exploiting every tax fiddle” and says he wants to “sweep away tax scams and everybody should pay tax at the same rate on earnings and other income”. If Ken had paid himself the £319,478 direct instead of sheltering it in the company bank account, he would have been on the top 50% rate. Instead the corporate tax rate of only 21% applies.
Given that millionaire Ken Livingstone has attacked tax avoiders as ‘rich bastards’ in the past, he has some cheek. Tax accountant Richard Mannion says there is nothing illegal about what Ken is doing though
“Given what Mr Livingstone has said about tax avoidance, that takes you into a whole different area of what is legally correct and what is morally correct.”
Legal and pretty damn hypocritical of Ken…
Its ok for lefties to avoid tax!
Tax is for the little people not the wealthy left. They’ve all set up shell companies to avoid tax.
http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/4031-gordon-brown-earns-over-p1-million-while-absent-from-commons
To be Fair Socialists and Hypocricy are accepted bed fellows and always have been. Ken is no different from the rest.
Bed-wetting fellows if you please!
I have nothing to declare but my genius
- you mean … Ken is an hyp0crit? … cor blimey guv, – nevva would of fort it!
I’ve spent my life watching every move Boris Pecker makes. Every since he became Mayor I have been scweaming & scheming and until he goes I’ll lie down and be as sick as a parrot (or newt).
I’m obsessed with the man and even though I am a rich old fart, I just can’t let go….my life force is ebbing away…like my mate Chavez…vote, vote for me…..pretty please…if I’m not in the public eye, I’ll wither away…
Thank the Newt King for Bethnal Green & Bow……and their massive increase in population to 10 million voters!
Just being taxed more equally than others that’s all
Sir Oswald Mosley was once a Labour politician………….
Do as I say, not as I do
So was Mr Tilter!
And Hitler National Socialist.
to be fair the tories are all nazis
How can a conservative be a national socialist you prat.
How many b-boid bastards run their affairs from companies?
Kirsty Walk and Paxman to start but probably all of them.
it’s the unique way they’re funded
Sssh it’s okay when socialists like us do it
Least the torys are honest about it
Pip pip
This is what Socialists do, remember the Communist, Black Sea Dachas. Just bought my Sunday Sun, not really my sort of paper but you’ve got to support Murdoch. Sadly no v1le Labour f1lth scandal but I’m sure the Sun archives are full of it. The first scandal will probably be Watson and Bryant’s underage rentboys, there must be one they haven’t bribed.
I got the sun too. Read it for about a minute before it hit the bin. However, just the knowledge of how upset the Guardian will be if the circulation beats theirs makes it worthwhile.
Quiet right. I have some painting to do so I will buy a copy.
BUSTG- BUy the Sun Thrash t’Grouniad
It really is a bugger & beyond belief that Tom Twatson is now the moral guardian of the press. To top it all, it seems to me that the newspapers are shit scared of him. Why?
Hope he gets both barrels soon.
They’re scared of me because they don’t have as much on me as I have on them, and they know it, yeah? I know certain things, yeah? People tell me certain things, yeah? I don’t HAVE to go public with any of it, yeah?
І bоught thе Sun tоо, јust tо gіνе thе wіtсh huntеrs а роkе іn thе еуе. Wаs рlеаsаntlу surрrіsеd, іn fасt. Аftеr уоu wаdе thrоugh thе сеlеbrіtу fluff thеrе іs асtuаllу sоmе nеws. Аnd а соlumn bу Јоhn Sеntаmu, whісh mаkеs Guіdо’s gіg wіth thе Stаr lооk а bіt сhеар.
І dіd sее thе Stаr оnе, whеn І wаs wаіtіng fоr а tаkеаwау. Іt mаkеs thе Sun lооk роsіtіνеlу hіghbrоw.
I also bought the Sun today along with the Telegraph. Looking round at the long queue, the majority had bought a Sun. Football coverage is a big driver for the sale of Sunday papers and the football supplement looked like it could do the trick. And it was only 50p.
This thread is riddled with them.
You will all remember that I and the LibDem Administration contracted to take more than 25% of all the Asylum Seekers in the south of England.
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/asylum_seekers_allocated_to_port#comment-25544
It was reported here;
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/portsmouth_takes_quarter_of_south_s_asylum_seekers_1_3548241?commentspage=0
When we got complaints from the Local population we claimed that they were being forced on us rather than the truth that we had contracted to take them for money from the Home Office. We colluded with the Labour Government to do this, here is the Leader of the Council:
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/too_many_refugees_in_city_says_civic_leader_1_1267336
and me spinning the facts to fool the local voters,
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/minister_s_pledge_on_city_asylum_seekers_1_1268288
We kept taking them in and my ‘boys’ made huge profits from housing them, for which I provided the planning permissions, as did I and a few other Insiders on the Council. All members of the Lodge. We also got huge political donation from my ‘boys’ for providing this service:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/audit_trail_of_political_donatio#incoming-137471
Note how the Electoral Commission have ignored complaints of donation fraud and how we changed our names and titles so that they would not work out it was the same people making the political donations.
Finally to create demand for the houses my ‘boys’ were building for these huge numbers of Asylum seekers, we sold off loads of council properties out side the right to buy system.
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/local_authority_property#outgoing-180630
Boaz Suckers.
Amazing Handy. I have passed this on to Goodluck Johnathan who will pass it on to other Dictators. The corruption in Portsmouth City Council is beyond belief and all done with taxpayer’s money. I was really impressed when you told me that you had Gordon Brown, when he was Chancellor, down with Fred Goodwin from RBS for a civic dinner, to honour the Portsmouth businessman of the year, a property developer who is also the biggest drug dealer in the south. Also that RBS provided the money for the development for the asylum seekers, brilliant. Your long desired elevation to the Peerage is no doubt now a certainty and you will be able to continue travelling to eastern Europe on taxpayer’s money until you are past it; brilliant. Jahbulon.
Local government is the root of all corruption can’t understand why the liberals want to give it even more powers. Then on reflection…….
Hi Bob,
Here’s the clever bit, anyone, officer or councillor, in the know, who was not happy about the situation, we sold council properties to, on the cheap. These bastards have been trying to find out about this too, but we have been lying to them in our FOI responses.
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/sale_of_council_properties_3#incoming-245622
Indeed – no holes barred.
Now that he’s a millionaire, couldn’t he get that wart taken off his chin?
and put where?
To think people believe the lies spun by leftist filth and even vote for them when in fact they are the most appallingly cynical hypocrites laughing at the gullibility of their constituents.
Same as people who pay Sky to watch football.
Sadly, this disgusting man could be seen raping nuns in public, and it would not make any difference to his core vote.
Quite right. Going postal does it for me.
My name is Legion for we are many
We are to menny.
I voted for him and so did my 53 non existant relatives. Allah be praised.
Now that I’m out and about I can deliver a few thousand votes, for a price, of course. I can be contacted via my security detail, courtesy of the Met Police. InshaAllah!
Of course the same couldn’t be said of Boris?
I’d vote for him! – phew, – wotawh0ppa!
Do you not realise how many ex wives and children I have to support?
My being a hypocrite is OK if spoken of by only the right wing. Compared to other Labour Party politicians I am an ethical god.
I worship you Ken, – fancy coming round ter my little place for a get tergevva?
Shouldn’t that be Hugo Chavez?
Where are these nuns that want to be raped in public?
Lefties will ignore it as usual, as they usually do when confronted with any sanity of truth.
Big lefty huddle. Lots of discussion. Then a statement that somehow its perfectly fine because Ken is against Boris.
And that excuses socialist hypocrisy.
“because our supporters number less, we have to take difficult choices”
So that’s all right then. Back to the barricades my four legged comrades..”btw – announcement about 4 legs , 2 legs coming up after we’ve won the election.”
Bill he only has less supporters if we do away with postal voting, in which a 1 bedroom muslim household has 50 postal votes all signed by the same bearded twat.
Why am I not surprised!
on your Sunday star piece, maybe you should ask them to print the blog address next week?
After all we are talking about Star “readers”.
And I thought they only looked at the pictures – where is topless Guido?
Tut, tut Guido…
No mention of the Employers and Employee NI that Kenny et al. – for there are many people (including legitimate freelancers) who choose to work through limited companies when supplying services – would have had to have paid as well as Corporation tax.
Very poor show to jump on HMRC’s media bandwagon with this one and not point out the obvious inaccuracies in their “lines to take” shtick.
That you Ken?
Hypocrisy hypocrisy hypocrisy is what it’s all about
Too right. I don’t think mr Inside Man actually read what Ken has previously said on the matter of taxation.
All a bit rich from the man who poses as Comrade Ken and warns that the “super-rich” are “exploiting every tax fiddle” and says he wants to “sweep away tax scams and everybody should pay tax at the same rate on earnings and other income”.
Its all about money. What is it, do you think, which attracts his sychophantic inner coterie to the millionaire Ken Livingstone?
I think the point is about hypocracy you idiot.
Don’t care, not interested, now what are the Tory scum up to? Duck houses, moats, tennis courts?
yes and no word of osbournes trust funds. its ok because he was born rich like guido
If only.
God when you lefty cretins understand, we dont care if your rich,WE HATE HYPOCRITS and the left do hypocracy beyond belief.
OT – John Prescott trivialising and making ‘jokes’ about child murder.
‘Getting leadership advice from Charles Clarke is a bit like taking childcare tips from King Herod #lastofthesummerwhine’
Time for the T*ries to ferret out some victims of child murders – I dunno – the Bulgers or Sarah Payne’s parents or somebody – to mug it up for the press giving it ‘I think it is appalling and insensitive of John Prescott to trivialise child murder…’
After all – that’s what Labour would do.
Followed by lots of articles in the Grauniad explaining how John Prescott’s trivialisation of child murder was a natural symptom of being a
ToryLabour politician.Get to it Guido.
Harman was on SKY news earlier talking about economics. It made me LOL
Just put something heavy and powerful between me legs, n’ I’ll show yous how to impress wimmin, – ask Hat, ask Tess, – ask any of em.
Yes, but Red Ken will have to pay more tax to get his hands on the reserves in his company – it’s merely taxation deferred.
How so? He merely pays himself dividends which, having been already taxed at 20% (I think it’s gone down to 20% this tax year), means he can take the whole lot tax free having (presumably) paid 21%/20% Corporation Tax on his profits.
You’re supposed to go to the trouble of printing out a tax-deducted dividend payment certificate to yourself too but that would only take a minute on ‘Word’ to lash up.
The company has to pay the tax credit to HMRC, Ken will have a higher rate tax liability if he receives a dividend of over (?)£37400, and finally, if his wife draws a similar dividend then HMRC will try to treat the dividend as received by Ken, since his wife did nothing to earn the money (as in Arctic Systems)
Perhaps I’ve misunderstood how this dividend tax thing works but I thought if you’d paid Corporation tax on your company profits then you could pay yourself dividends up to that 37K(ish) limit without again paying any additional tax. The thinking being that money has already been taxed at 20/21% ie the lower threshold.
All you had to do was run off a piece of paper to yourself informing yourself that 20/21% tax had already been paid. Or giving yourself a 20/21% tax credit or somesuch.
Have I got that wrong?
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctsa/ct61-notes-2010.pdf
used for paying 20% tax on interest deducted and ‘qualifying distributions’.
Totally separate from Corporation Tax on profits.
You surely must have a point of mistaken detail here. Dividends are paid to the owner of the shares. More often than not, the shareholder does not work for the company at all (pension funds for example). If the wife paid with her money she is entitled to the dividend – full stop.
Of course, if the money from which the shares are bought is deemed not to be hers, then that is entirely a different matter. However there are ways to deal with that to forestall such approach.
The rules for personal service companies differ from listed ones. And the Arctic Systems case confirmed that the wife was entitled to dividends because she bought her shareholding – so the IR announced that although it had lost the case, it was going to amend the law to close the ‘loophole’ in future.
The answer is not to have a company that could be defined as personal service. My company used to sell my services to two dozen different clients but, in recession times, there may have only been one active at some times. But I could show that the other clients could always come back. The company was not listed i.e. it was a private limited company.
It is easy to get work from other sources, especially if you charge at cost for say a day’s work. They are then on your books, you can claim they are likely to come back (this time at your premium rate!) and I see nothing that HMRC can do about it because there are many thousands of other companies in that very situation.
If you are set up with only one client, then you are inviting trouble if you are a one man band. I recall several suppliers to M&S producing solely for that company. I think Nottingham Manufacturing Ltd was one.
HMRC will only try it on with the small man as they think they will fold. Hence IR35.
Dodging NI.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
But he can spread the deferment over many years, well into is retirement. And do not lose sight of the opportunities for the firm to do business with other, offshore companies and make losses in the process.
Or pay dividends to offshore companies. Dividends that can be accessed while on holiday without attracting the attention of HMRC.
You mean expenses for important stategic discussions lasting a couple of minutes in the ‘business centre’ of some beachside resort?
Plenty of was of getting money out of your company other than paying yourself salary, not just dividends either.
Haven’t got a clue about earnings, income tax and accountancy and the finesse required to fill in a tax form- hence the need to employ an honest, competant accountant. Fortunately happily married [ a pre requisite to avoid problems] -both of us of a similar self employed professional standing.
Worked first 20 years, never saving a penny. Last 20 years as limited companies saving a mint.
Combined Business is Limited Company X- 2 shareholders.-Director and Secretary
I am Limited Company Y- 2 shareholders- I am D , she is S
The wife is Limited Company Z- 2 shareholders. She is D, I am S.
The ability to have legally moved monies around in respect of changeable individual earnings, sickness and health, holidays, business schooling and study etc saved a fortune that is now in retirement being reimbursed as dividends and pension.
It has it’s drawbacks. 3 companies means 6 signatures per shareholder [ the taxman receiving a copies of the official year reports] and one each for the individual assessments. Life is hell, but I grin and bear it.
Careful now Juggler!
We may decide that your arrangement of multiple companies is merely a device to avoid tax (which by your own admission it is)
In which case we’d fall upon you a ton of shit. Well we would if we had the manpower to investigate you, which we don’t.
But don’t get too cocky. You are evading tax by the employment of an artifice, and woe betide you if you are found out. Your accountant sanctions this does he/she?
All perfectly above board. Utilisation of personal limited companies to legally decide where our monies will be best placed so they will be subject to the lowest tax requirements. No hanky panky or attempts to cheat the system illegally
Simple soul who realised that the inland revenue is no more a friend to me than I am a charitable organisation compelled to stuff their coffers for the benefit of the spongers on the state.
No it’s not above board.
What many clever dicks like you don’t realise is that even though individual manouvers may themselved be ‘legal’ (i.e. they do not in themselves contravine a specific article of tax legislations) when assembled and used in such a way as to avoid paying tax that would otherwise be levied, this constitutes tax evasion due to the use of an artifice or construct made for that purpose.
No, the idea is to let the money roll up in the company.The company will be liquidated but no further tax will be due as entrepreneur’s relief will apply.
That is bollocks, frankly.
First of all, how many small business people can afford just to roll up all the income in the company and never take a reasonable salary or divedend?
When does this supposed slovent liquidation occur? When they retire? Or do they form a new company every couple of years after they ‘cash in’?
Not bollocks-reasonably common manoeuvre, though only for those who can wait to access the cash.
Again you assume that a specifc manoeuvre, whilst in itself persmissible, may not be viewed by the authorities as an artifice or construct specifically made to avoid the payment of tax that would otherwise be levied. That could well constitue tax evasion.
I fully expect any person caught out by IR35 to refer to Blair, Brown and Livingston in their defence.
Yes and how come Kenneth does not get caught by the IR35 rule? What a shambles. If IR35 needs tightening up then get on with it and back date it too.
IR35 probably not applicable as Ken Livingston Enterprises Ltd. probably has multiple clients and full direction of how his work is carried out. He probably has power of substitution i.e. he could send some minion to perform some of the work in his behalf.
Others however (like many Guardian columnists, for instance) are to all intents and purposes ‘disguised employees’ and are breaking the law by operating companies for the purposes of tax evasion.
Shock horror. Socialist politician is self-serving scumbag. In other news, creatures of an ursine nature defaecate in sylvan areas!
And a certain elderly former Hitler Jugend member occupying a high ecclesiastical position is in communion with the Church of Rome.
Yes but does the Pope shit in the woods?
I bet he has done on all those Hitler Youth camping trips.
I hope the Daily Star pick up on this.
Is this Guido’s best story – or is he holding that back for next Sunday’s dead tree edition?
The old story from the left “Do as I say not as I do”
why is this bastard even up as a Candidate? Can Londoners not put up some more worthy candidate, someone who will actually be of benefit to them instead of just following his only Socialist agenda? It’s unbeleivable how long we’ve had to endure this smug wanker’s presence on the political scene. Enough already!
He’s a politician, what do you expect. I’ve never understood people who imagine there is any difference between a left-wing politician and a right-wing politician (or a centre politician come to that). The clue is in the word ‘politician’.
We just like to highlight the gross hypocrisy of the left at every opportunity, innit?
True.
Four legs good, two legs bad
Wе hаvе аll hаd а blооdy gооd lаugh/rаnt аt Guіdо tаkіng Dеsmоnd’s shіllіng аnd fоr sоmе thе usе оf wоrds lіkе hypоcrіsy іn thіs аrtіclе wіll bе flung bаck аt hіm. Hе wаs еxpеctіng thаt, І аm surе. І hаvе shоvеd my оwn twо pеnny wоrth іn.
Hоwеvеr, thе crіtіcs shоuld bе cаrеful оf nоt bеcоmіng hypоcrіtіcаl thеmsеlvеs.
Thе dеаd trее prеss wіll bе gоnе іn 100 yеаrs, prоbаbly 50. But іt іs tоо іngrаіnеd nоw tо sіmply fаll оvеr bеcаusе thе blоgs аrе hеrе.
Guіdо іs runnіng а busіnеss, nоt а chаrіty оr аn аctіоn grоup. Tо gеt tо а wіdеr аudіеncе, оnе nееds tо dо cоnsіdеr dіffеrеnt аpprоаchеs.
Tіmе wіll tеll whеthеr thеrе іs аny crоss-bеnеfіt іn thіs nеw аrrаngеmеnt. Іf thеrе іs thеn іt іs justіfіеd. Pеrіоd. Dоеs аnyоnе suggеst hе shоuld turn thе оffеr dоwn аnd rеfusе thе mоnеy? Wоuld thеy turn іt dоwn thеmsеlvеs? Іf іt gеts hіm а lоbby pаss, thеn thаt rіghts а wrоng thаt hаs еxіstеd up untіl nоw. Hоw cаn thе mаіn pоlіtіcаl blоggеr іn thе lаnd nоt hаvе rеаdy аccеss tо thе Hоusеs оf Pаrlіаmеnt оn аn еquаl fооtіng wіth thе оthеr mеdіа?
Nоw, bеfоrе аnyоnе rеspоnds thаt hіs іndеpеndеncе іs cоmprоmіsеd, lеt mе аddrеss thаt tоо. Іn thе fіnаl аnаlysіs, thеrе іs nо such thіng іf yоu аrе іn busіnеss. Thеrе іs а nеwspаpеr thаt bеаrs thаt nаmе. Іs іt іndеpеndеnt? Іf іt wеrе, wоuld іt nоt bе еvеn wоrsе thаn іt nоw іs?
І hаvе trоddеn Guіdо’s pаth іn аnоthеr іndustry аnd іn аnоthеr еrа. Unlеss оnе bеcоmеs а hеrmіt, іt іs іnеvіtаblе thаt yоur pоsіtіоn аppеаrs cоmprоmіsеd аt sоmе pоіnt.
Thе rеsоlutіоn оf such cоnflіct іs а sіgn оf prоgrеss. Іn thе еnd, wе shаll fіnd оut іf hе pulls hіs punchеs. Wе shаll lеt hіm knоw, hе cаn bе surе оf thаt.
Fоr thе nеw sіtuаtіоn, І wіsh hіm gооd luck.
I agree with you to a point, but becoming the one thing that fought against is a bit of sticking point, It smacks of a “if you cant beat them, join them” stratrgy.
It may be sucsessful, but at least it is reaching out, and better than doing nothing.
A suggestion to a suggester:
The message is more important than the medium. If Guido gets a different following in his newspaper column, then there are more of us. It is not about battling the dead tree press in itself. It is about spеaking up for the individual against the top heavy political establishment which is not just in the media but in the police, the law courts and is supported by many big businesses nearly always as a quid pro quo which we don’t even see.
This is true. But if I may suggest the main difference between, say, Guido and Polly is that Guido doesn’t have to pretend his ideas are morrally superior in order to excuse the hypocrisy.
For example, if he advocates lower tax rates there is no supporting post about how the poor chavs won’t be slung into the poor house for lack of taxpayer funded benefits.
It’s not a moral crusade. It’s a business choice.
Whereas Owen Jones could talk about nothing else but higher benefits for hardunworkingfamilies or society collapsing. All without evidence except from left wing think tank that he himself has set up to provide the evidence he seeks.
Agree wholeheartedly, Bill.
I would raise you one as I think that Margaret Thatcher made a clear case that a good business choice could also be a good moral one. The Good Samaritan had to have wealth to be able to help; comparing the housewife’s purse and what she could afford with it with the national economy and other similar cases put with admirable clarity.
The good thing about being ex-pat is that I don’t get to hear the Owen Joneses of this world drivelling on. I have thought about looking him up when I heard him mentioned here and then thought Why? I have a life! It is difficult to explain adequately how liberating that feels.
Аgrее whоlеhеаrtеdly, Bіll.
І wоuld rаіsе yоu оnе аs І thіnk thаt Mаrgаrеt Thаtchеr mаdе а clеаr cаsе thаt а gооd busіnеss chоіcе cоuld аlsо bе а gооd mоrаl оnе. Thе Gооd Sаmаrіtаn hаd tо hаvе wеаlth tо bе аblе tо hеlp; cоmpаrіng thе hоusеwіfе’s pursе аnd whаt shе cоuld аffоrd wіth іt wіth thе nаtіоnаl еcоnоmy аnd оthеr sіmіlаr cаsеs put wіth аdmіrаblе clаrіty.
Thе gооd thіng аbоut bеіng еx-pаt іs thаt І dоn’t gеt tо hеаr thе Оwеn Jоnеsеs оf thіs wоrld drіvеllіng оn. І hаvе thоught аbоut lооkіng hіm up whеn І hеаrd hіm mеntіоnеd hеrе аnd thеn thоught Why? І hаvе а lіfе! Іt іs dіffіcult tо еxplаіn аdеquаtеly hоw lіbеrаtіng thаt fееls.
You’re not missing much, Cat: O.J. (simpleton) isn’t worth listening to. Lucky you.
While taking the Badger’s shilling is probably not quite on a par with shaking the Gorgon’s hand there must still be a high risk of death by association. Let’s hope this is a tactical move which is played to advantage.
All right, so Guido has a lobby pass, we’ll say. Guido tells Rt Hon Fred Bloggs, MP for Arcebuckett and Boggbrush: OK, mate, Lobby rules. Is there any MP who will not immediately flash back to his/her childhood and think “Oh dear, maybe a little frog-and-scorpion going on here?” I mean, who’s got a bloody gun to their heads, anyway? The first day Guido would show up, a general buzz would circulate in the Palace of Westminster– “See that heavy-set fellow with the grey streak? Probably not a good idea to get too unguarded with him, yeah?” Guido’s presence in the Houses of Parliament and his reporting therefrom would be like the proverbial hind-leg-walking dog and female preacher– forget whether it is done well or not, it is remarkable in that it takes place at all.
Have you ever read what some of these c***s tweet ffs? Some of them even overindulge, very occasionally, on the demon dr*nk. They leave things that they shouldn’t in photocopiers. Need I go on?
And don’t forget that senior male employees chez Desmond receive unlimited access to the girls from his porn channels.
How disgusting.
*I think he needs a Schrödinger’s cat column*
I’ve got a furry pussy living here if anyone’s interested.
Nein Danke!
What else would you expect from a left-wing piece of shit?
Tax planning, tax avoidance and tax evasion. Perfectly acceptable to do the first 2, and to accuse someone of being underhanded in exploiting such opportunities indicates an ignorance of the law, and is a base form of demagoguery.
And the higher form of demagoguery would be what? Standing for elected office as a millianaire pretending to be fighting some sort of a class war as a socialist?
Very considerate of you to live up to your name.
@ Raving Loon btw.
Don’t know if you saw this reply to you the other day, Raving Loon?
http://tinyurl.com/7a2fms8
Do you mean the one about constantly having to wage war to maintain our guard against foreign enemies, real or imagined?
You are really Alastair Campbell and I claim my £5 and dirty book.
WTF?
Its *a joke*
Not so pished as a newt then?
So it appears that most of these MP types pay themselves through their office/private companies
yet they preach about the wrongs of tax dodging to the rest of us from their subsidised bars and restaurants paid for by us whilst plying themselves with cheap grub and booze with their £170 per week food allowance paid for by us , before traveling home on transport paid for by us to their very expensive second homes also paid for by us then turning on the biggest available flat screen tv , before getting a cool beer out of the walk in fridge that were also all paid for by us . before an early night with a prostitute of their prefered gender also paid for by us so they can get up early to welcome in the builders and interior designers also paid for by us
Lifes a bitch in public office
The BBC has paid reverent, and wildly disproportionate, attention to even the most ill-informed objections to Tesco and other companies providing training to those on Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Janet Daley Telegraph
I can’t stand the mental faced Janet Daley. However, In this instance, she is correct.
We are anti-business because we do not understand it and will never use its practices as we have a captive audience that willingly provides us with £3.5billion every year.
This is why we have put some schoolboys in charge of our business section under that master of entrepreneurship Evan Davies.
What? He is the schoolboy! So sorry.
You think thats bad, just wait till I get my hands on a Police Force.
I don’t suppose Polly will have any comment to make on this latest example of tax dodging.
Sorry Dahling. Haven’t really got time. Silvio’s coming this afternoon, and I’ve good to finish training my new maids beforehand.
Tory front benchers – all millionaires.
Labour front benchers – all millionaires.
The difference is that we shall continue to shine the spotlight of fairness and accountability on the Tory Front-Benchers who are plainly living on the benefits of “Slave-Labour” and inherited wealth gained on the proceeds of milking the HARD WORKING SQUEEZED MIDDLE whilst applauuding the high moral ground taken by Labour Front-Benchers who have succeeded through their own laudable endeavours and stand for conviction politics
They’re all in this together.
All buddy-buddy in Strangers Bar, (with the exception of Joyce) but all doing their level best to persuade the public that they hate each other when PMQ’s is televised every Wednesday.
Self interest. The biggest motivator on earth.
um … Happy?
Horrendously Happy?
Hideous?
I’m very impressed with conmanKen. He should be in line for PrimePrat of the Year.
He wins it every year nell, what you talking about?
Maybe he’ll be up for an Oscar with Meryl Streep this year for best actor.
Because it is all acting, isn’t it.
Today i will be a paper-clip.
I have no uthe for you – my polithy ith on a thingle theet of paper, and even that ith blank.
But how will you hitch it to the bandwagon?
What a shame Gareth Bale, such a great player, is also a cheating diving Hunt.
He’s a born actor – I particularly admired him in Batman Begins.
Hypocritical politicians? I can barely belive it. Lets get back to basics, with family values and swords of truth … oh, no they were tory hypocrisies weren’t they?
My wealth is tucked away in various companies.
‘We are intensely rich about people getting filthy rich’.
You quote my comments to California computer executives in 1998 that “we are intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich” (Leaders, January 11). I do not object to being quoted, as long as I am quoted accurately and in full. What I in fact said on that particular occasion was “as long as they pay their taxes”.
Peter Mandelson
EU
trade commissionertrougher from my £ 8,000,000 mansion.http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jan/12/tonyblair.labour
Is there any way I can help you avoid Mansion Tax? Do call on my private number, – I gave it to you – remember?
I’ve got it on speed dial.
Nice one Guido.
I have nothing against good tax planning when the state is so wasteful. However, I detest being lectured about such issues by people doing the same themselves.
You have no idea how much you are playing into the left’s hands with this sort of stuff Guido, you thick Hunt. Buy me lunch and a cigar at Le coq don’t and I’ll explain.
le coq d’or I mean, sorry.
The cock’s door? – sounds bludy funny ter me!
There seems to be a sentiment amongst many of the posters that the Messrs Fawkes and Livingstone had better re-read the part about the mote and the beam; look, folks, judge not that you not be judged by the same measure, and Guido is ready to be judged by his readers, as witness your posts. Can the same be said of the Red One?
(And anyway, so what if a hypocrite calls another hypocrite hypocritical? It may itself be hypocritical, but that doesn’t make it any less true!)
….or he could take it out via an Employee Benefit Trust by way of a loan, or pay it as some sort of nebulous fee to It’s Not Really Ken (Pty) Limited (Cayman Islands), or etc. etc. One shouldn’t suppose that Ken necessarily knows what he’s doing, however.
Are you suggesting that our host has ever been anything other than scrupulous in his tax affairs? Shame on you.
We take it that he hasn’t, but he’s no fucking hypocrite in pretending otherwise, you duplicitous cuпt.
Aaaaagh, I didn’t expect to find this nonsense on this blog: “Instead the corporate tax rate of only 21% applies.”.
Yes, but as soon as Ken takes it out of the company he’ll pay more tax on it – if he’s an employee of his company and takes it as salary he’ll be liable for PAYE and NI (both employEE and employER). If (more likely) he (and any other directors) take a dividend, he’ll pay tax on that (with a credit for the CT paid, although details may have changed since I had my own company).
I have no time at all for Ken, and he’s almost certainly saving some tax with this approach, but please get the facts straight.
It’s all about the hypocrisy of the left. Their ‘holier-then-thou’ attitude is stomach-churning when we get an occasional, albeit brief glimpse at how what they say does not chime with what they do.
The advantage comes in two parts: He gets to employ his wife and pay her dividends, whilst using this year’s magic figure of £7k in salary for her and an arbitrary £9k or so for him, taking up their personal allowances. Both the salaries attract virtually nothing in tax or NI liability as a result. The balance, up to £37k or so each, is tax and NI free as CT has already been paid, as well as allowing a considerable amount of expenses to be set off against the top line revenues. The combination of him and his wife arranging their tax affairs like this allows annual income of £100k to attract no additional tax apart from the 20% corporation tax. The NI saving alone is worth a good £10k.
There’s no such thing as the ‘right amount of tax’ for anybody to pay. Our tax system is merely a rag-bag of arbitrary, amoral rules. There can be no morality in taxation as long as we tax the poorest people on the essentials of life, such as clothing and fuel.
Oh how we cheered in the HOC when Gordon doubled the 10p income tax rate on the poorest people in society.
‘
Confessing to theft, Mr. Grasper ?
Theft does seem to come easy to Mr Grasper…
So shareholders should pay income tax on retained earnings? You quite sure about this?
Only lefty shareholders Jimmy.
Of course all lefties, being the good socialists that they are, arrange their tax affairs so that they maximise the amount of tax revenue they give to the government to redistribute to the masses.
After 13 years of a Socialist Government with such honest tax brokers as Bliar, Gordon, Balls etc [in fact the whole shooting match] the British public appe-ars slow to learn from their examples.
Sauce for the goose etc etc suggests you should check out any legal methods available to retain your hard earned income. They will only squander it on trivialities that will only benefit immigrants and foreign regimes.
Fuck off,, some of us can spell.
Why should you be sorry.
You are what you are. And we all know what that is.
Balls typo was too far and too fast.
That’s all right. We’re sorry you’re your alive.
Talk about me!
Rather not thanks!
Why didn’t you get Joyce to sort your nose out for you and save the taxpayer a few bob in the process?.
Banketh Boueth
It’s part of my persona, – my many and varied roles as an actor upon the world’s stage, – it is my essence, – how I’m known and loved, how I present myself to the world and all those that enjoy my company, wit, and banter.
So my nose stays just like it is, – I’m just grateful the sugery didn’t work.
Wondering whether Joyce really did sort out Miliband’s nose. It has certainly collapsed, looking just as if someone had bashed it. I was thinking it was just the NHS making a dog’s breakfast of his septum, but maybe this is a better explanation.
OK– you want to know why I had my nothe “fixth,” in a manner of thpeaking? I finally got tired of people walking up to me and athking, “Can we have your autograph, Mr. Romano?”
http://images.buddytv.com/articles/Image/what-are-they-up-to-ray-romano.jpg
I’m more than ten yearth younger than he ith, FFTh!
Just bought the last copy of the Sun left in Tescos. Any enemy of Labour is a friend of mine.
Bought mine in the local garage. Paired up with the last copy of the NOTW that I possess, will put on ebay in a few years for £1.99.
Why, what’s Kenny been up to?.
The football guru that is, not Dr Livingstone.
Lets hope the FA sanction these tedious bores.
here’s the response from Team Maggie.
‘If you get more than one brain cell….
…you won’t forget about Heysel’
so fatty
you made it into The Star
Well done you fit in with allthe other fat tits in there
fat tits – oo ang on wate fer me!
Hope you’ve enjoyed your day at the star guido .
Now can we get back to some real blog stories about the loony left and their economic incompetence.
no fatty is now a k unt
Nell. Gu-ido at the moment is having premonitions about the Sultan of Brunei.
Maybe he will include the ruler´s currant wife-the Sultana, and he will you be raisin it later on the blog
Has she got a bun in the oven ?
Is that currant news or are we not supposed to be discussing sultanas?
You can tell that Brown’s 50 % tax rate was vindictive and counter productive window dressing when a Hunt like Livingstone finds a way to get round it.
It is a pity that Osborne and the Limp Dims cannot work out a way of levying taxes to increase revenue, instead they follow that Hunt Brown’s counter productive policy.
Livingsline always was a self promoting, self satisfied Hunt.
meanwhile at Gatwick English-hating racists subject the English to harrasssment for being English.
After regime change these Gatwick scum will be disposed of as liblabcons. In front of their families obviously. Ha ha ha
Bought a copy of the Sun today, things didn’t look good for me when I saw that the whole of the front page was about somebody that I’d never heard of.
I don’t mind at all buying the thing every week if it is going to attack/expose the Bbbc, the unions, and the libore party (the coalition don’t seem to be doing it) but if it’s not then I shant bother.
+1. Hope Digger has some nice juicy stuff, starting with Twatson.
You’ve never heard of Amanda Holden? Are you a judge or have you been off world for the past ten years?
Who?
I’ve never heard of her either and I’m not a judge or an astronaut.
I couldn’t care less who wins between Boris and Ken as the government shouldn’t be involved in half the areas it presently does in London. Either way, we’ll still get a meddling central planner.
The shape-shifter is already here in No 10!
I haven’t got time. I’m too busy making money.
Over my dead body !
Giving expert advice on invading a country in the Middle E@st after your successes as Middle East Pe@ce envoy ?
Peace Envoys obviously not paying enough these days. There should be plenty of work for him – in lots of dangerous places.
If he ever comes back into politics, we may as well kiss goodbye to whatever we have left.
“A source close to Ed Miliband said: “We’re aware of these meetings and we’re relaxed about them.”
That sounds remarkably like Fondlebum.
Ken Livingstone is SCUM.
Haha, the BBC, Twatson, the Guardian, Hugh Grunt, Steve Coogan, and of course, last but not least, Jimmy, your boys took a hell of a beating today!
+1xE+99
Brill. Great decision by Red Ed to ban his people from writing articles for it. When will they realise that Guardianistas are a minority and the white working class a majority? Like Blair did.
The Sun does not represent the kind of people who vote Labour. Our voters read the Guardian and the new Statesmen, what is more they are all of lesbian, gay origin and hate the UK and love Europe.
no shit
Sounds just like the kind of people we want to attract
This will not go down well at Labour HQ. Millions of little people exercising their right to buy a newspaper of their choice.
All elite class must buy the Guardian and all
worker class must buy the Mirror.
Good on ya Rupe you old bastard.
This is mundane stuff; accountants on the provincial industrial estate where I work advertise the same dodge.
May we presume that Livingstone infers that other income tax-payers are happy about tax levels and unfairness in the allocation of tax burden?
Do as I say not as I do
Where’s that bloomin’ Alan Whicker fellow when you need another puff piece engineering ?
Ken says he spent that money on staff working on his campaign. So will those donations be declared? How were they channelled to the campaign? Is there transparency in the accounts?
Has any foreign ‘donations’ to the Company been applied to the campaign?
The Sun on Sunday sold three million copies after it hit news stands across the country for the first time, Rupert Murdoch has said.
The Observer 264,321
Independent on Sunday 124,428
Sunday Mirror 1,753,202
The Mail on Sunday 1,921,010
And just for fun – The Guardian average daily 2012 sales 229,753
well worth that £395,010 salary Alan Rusbridger. Add in the £500k pension and shares and his annual package is equal to his annual readership.
+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Ah, but don’t overlook the 593,000 immigrants that Dave formally let in during the year to last June; or the 693,000 National Insurance numbers issued to foreigners (as reported by The Sun).
Shirley those little fillips helped to sustain The Guardian’s circulation more than somewhat.
Oops! Pray pardon my exaggeration. That was really only 690,000 National Insurance numbers.
It really is time these krauts were put in their place :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8900799/Britain-will-join-euro-before-long-says-German-finance-minister.html
Guido, we need to see a copy of this “Berlin document” mentioned in the article.
I’m get sick of the bollocks that by paying yourself through a company you can some how reduce your tax rate form 50% to 21%. A great trick but I’d like to see how it works.
The real trick is that you can avoid National Insurance contributions. So let’s be accurate about what the slime are doing!
Overall, this is how it works. You are paid as a company, not as an employee. So now when you do the accounts all company expenses can be deducted. Car, office, wife as secretary etc. Then you pay yourself a low wage. So your income tax is low as well as your NI. Then as the sole beneficiary of the company you are awarded the yearly dividend which is taxed at a low level with no NI. That is how you fiddle the taxes.
Ken is quoted as saying no one has to pay tax on the pay of people they employ. Is labour party policy to make any payments i make to plumbers, electricians etc tax deductable. Can i employ staff to look after me and claim their costs back against tax!!