UK Labour to crack down on tax cheats

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, April 12th, 2015 - 21 comments
Categories: tax, uk politics - Tags: , , ,

Better late than never I guess – in the UK:

Labour pledges huge fines on tax avoiders to raise £7.5bn a year

Labour will declare an immediate, all-out war on tax avoidance and evasion if it wins the 7 May election, pushing emergency laws through parliament designed to raise more than £7.5bn a year.

That should put the cat among some comfortable establishment pigeons.

Here in NZ the Nats spend much more energy pursuing the much smaller problem of benefit fraud. That’s consistent with their ideology and purpose, serving the rich at the expense of the poor. But Labour should follow the UK example and tackle the huge tax avoidance and evasion problem.

21 comments on “UK Labour to crack down on tax cheats ”

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  1. Olwyn 1
    12 April 2015 at 11:53 am

    Well, it’s to be hoped that they focus their pursuit on the likes of bankers, and not so much on the likes of barrow boys. In modern, corporatised societies you have to watch out for moves which are trumpeted as ways of reining in the powerful, but end up bagging yet another section of the powerless, who are not so well-positioned to defend themselves.

  3. Colonial Rawshark 3
    12 April 2015 at 12:37 pm

    UK Labour are targetting £7.5bn in an “immediate, all out war”?

    Funny thing is, UK Uncut claims that there is approx £120bn in tax avoidance, mostly by banks and large corporates. So 7.5Bn is neither here nor there. And the UK itself has deliberately and knowingly implemented many tax haven structures for the super-rich within its own legislation and financial system.

    • The Murphey 3.1
      12 April 2015 at 1:10 pm

      Correct which is why any such statements from establishment political parties must should be treated with the derision they have wrought onto themselves

    • infused 3.2
      12 April 2015 at 11:01 pm

      Yeah. I found that quite funny.

      “We are going to crack down on the schemes we created!”

      Yeah right.

  4. burt 4
    12 April 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Cutting down on tax cheats – I agree NZ should do this. If we had simple tax laws and flatter tax rates it would be pretty simple wouldn’t it. With our progressive tax regimes, different rates for different income vehicles and a plethora of benefits, tax credits and allowances it’s no surprise people get wealthy here in NZ while paying little (or no) tax.

    Just look at Penny Bright – a freehold house while paying no tax (and refusing to pay rates) while others can’t afford to buy a house and are paying tax. Hard core right wing self centred people like Penny need to be called out for how they behave like a multi national bank and are a drain on all NZ people.

    • The Other Mike 4.1
      12 April 2015 at 3:06 pm

      Ummm, Burt – what planet are you on? Or perhaps I should to have a quiet word to your, ummmmm, tobacconist so I can get a taste of what you are on.

    • Murray Rawshark 4.2
      12 April 2015 at 5:29 pm

      It is very unlikely that Penny is paying no tax. I’d say virtually impossible.

    • Brian Smith 4.3
      12 April 2015 at 6:53 pm

      @Burt- Time to go back to Ernie and Sesame Street, where you belong! Using Penny Bright as an example of a tax cheat-heh, heh,heh. “can you tell me how to get, how to get to sesame street…….”

  5. emergency mike 5
    12 April 2015 at 3:09 pm

    Uh huh. And Obama’s gonna close Guantanamo as soon as he’s elected.

  6. fisiani 6
    12 April 2015 at 3:30 pm

    When will IRD ping Unite Union for not paying tax.

    • te reo putake 6.1
      12 April 2015 at 3:33 pm

      Like many an organisation with a debt to IRD, Unite quickly came to a repayment deal with the taxman. Years ago, actually. Have you not been keeping up or are you just trolling?

    • Stephanie Rodgers 6.2
      12 April 2015 at 6:55 pm

      *David Attenborough voice*

      Here we have a marvellous example of the rightwing spinner’s standard defence mechanism, setting up decoys in order to deflect attention from its weak spots.

    • Craig H 6.3
      12 April 2015 at 9:57 pm

      Unite Union is an Incorporated Society and, therefore, is not for profit. Because of that, subscriptions (union fees/dues are subscriptions) are not considered income for tax purposes, so the union is not required to pay income tax on those. Given that most unions make a large loss once subscriptions are removed from the accounts, it’s unlikely that many unions pay any income tax.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    12 April 2015 at 5:32 pm

    Labour pledges huge fines on tax avoiders to raise £7.5bn a year

    Meanwhile, the tax cheats are costing Britain about $120b/year IIRC.

  8. Brian Smith 8
    12 April 2015 at 9:15 pm

    I’ll believe it when I see evidence of it! An attack on the establishment and their ‘entitlements’-very brave, but how long would it last?

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