Paradise Papers

....and there's always the diamond encrusted taps to think of Jalima silly me.

Actually I think you are probably right Ilovecheese having more money is just like a game and it's not about needing it or spending it any more.

How can they even enjoy sitting on hundreds of millions, while people in their own country are on the bones of their backsides.

Gillybob I don't think they want the money because they want to spend it on anything . I think they just see the owning of the money as an end in itself, not to put to any purpose, useful or otherwise.

Maizie used the DM to insult my family member. It could easily have been any tabloid, I assume. You're right - you have no idea. So why speculate?

Commiserations to your relatives too whitewave

Well, you could, but what about keeping some money on one side for paying the captain and the crew?
One has to live in style.

Couldn't you still do that with £150 million though Jalima?

Well okay the yacht might have to be a teensy bit smaller but....

What can you do with £200 million that you can't do with £150 million ? or whatever
Buy a big yacht and sail around the world? (as the advert said years ago)

That was John Snow

Commiserations to your relative primrose

And where did I tell you that you 'know nothing' Primrose?

The comment about my relative regurgitating crap for the Daily Mail is uncalled for. Why do you feel the need to try to undermine the work of a family member in order to promote your opinion?

OMG Primrose Is that who your relative works for? I had no idea.

I still fail to understand why those who are already filthy rich need to be even filthier and richer?

What can you do with £200 million that you can't do with £150 million ? or whatever.

I really don't understand. Why put your good name (???) at risk for the sake of a gain that will make little or no difference to your lifestyle?

Why is 'tax avoidance' downgraded to the 'only' story left. It is the story. It is taking place on an industrial scale. Why do you see it as so unimportant Primrose? Every pound these extremely rich people avoid paying has to be paid by you or me. I think that is very important.

The comment about my relative regurgitating crap for the Daily Mail is uncalled for. Why do you feel the need to try to undermine the work of a family member in order to promote your opinion?
It's a vicious circle of vitriol here sometimes. Told I know nothing, explain family work in the business, family insulted.
And you feel you're justified in discussing the morals and ethics of others?

380 journalists didn't do that work without wanting to be paid for it.

Bit of a non sequiter, Primrose?

I'm sure your relative expects to be paid for their work whether it is regurgitating crap for the Daily Mail or doing a serious piece for a 'quality' paper (if we have any left...)

The only story left might be 'tax avoidance' but it is on a massive scale and deserves to be brought to the attention of the public again and again and again until 'the public' stop sitting down supinely under regimes which favour the rich and punish the poor.

There is still a moral question to debate on wealth and fairness in society, however ancient the debate might be. After all, 'When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?'..

I'm not against investigative journalism at all - I've been castigated on GN for revealing I have a family member who is a journalist!
380 journalists didn't do that work without wanting to be paid for it. A law firm was hacked - it's probable that most of these transactions are legal, given it's a law firm. The only story left is tax avoidance. That's not front page news.

I don't think that 380 investigative journalists working on these leaked papers for more than a year is just 'sensationalism to sell papers'.

www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/about/

Investigative journalism has a vital role in society. It shines light into very murky corners.

Of course, if you are perfectly happy to trust in the benevolence of governments and the moneyed classes I can see why you would belittle it...

The Queen isn't a billionaire. She's not even particularly wealthy when compared with others in the top 1%

HMRC won't be going after HM, or after any of these tax avoiders as they are not actually doing anything illegal. Though no doubt HMRC will be checking them out to make sure they're above board...

The Queen, who today becomes the longest-serving monarch in British history, is worth £277m, a mere 3pc of the wealth of the richest Briton, Gerald Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/18/how-wealthy-is-the-queen-not-as-rich-as-you-think/

Rather difficult for HMRC to go after HM
It's rather difficult for HMRC to go after any of them! They've been asking for access to the papers for nearly 2 weeks, but the journalists will not pass it on.
This is all about sensationalism to sell papers, not about collecting taxes.

Is it some sort of mental affliction? Greed?
And getting one over on the 'little people' who PAYE

Many people have used clever legal loopholes to avoid inheritance tax, all perfectly legal.
Tony Benn was one who did so to avoid inheritance tax.
Inheritance tax is a tax on property which is normally bought with taxed money and with various other taxes paid in full in the process.

Tax Evaders are another kettle of fish altogether.

As I mentioned in another post ... Benjamin Franklyn's quotation needs to be amended in respect of Cayman tax evaders. The two things in life that are certain ... Death and Tax Evaders. As an afterthought, I wonder when - if any - legal proceedings will be brought against these people. Rather difficult for HMRC to go after HM. And £10m seems an odd amount for a billionaire.

And money also = power

To pass on to their numerous offspring who all need lots of taxfree money to continue their lifestyles?
No inheritance tax, either in these juristictions.

Um, I know this is a silly question, but does anyone know what this top 1% of super rich save all this off shore money for? There’s no way they can actually spend it all, and those that give some to charity only give the amount which gets tax advantages. But what about all the rest. The zillions just sitting there doing nothing except avoiding being taxed? Is it some sort of mental affliction?

I am reading that the TaxAvoidance Directive due to be introduced by the EU, is one huge reason for the wealthy to try and ensure the talks fail and we crash out of the EU.

skwawkbox.org/2017/11/07/heres-dwps-gauke-encouraging-companies-to-put-profits-in-taxhavens/

Who would have thought it!
Put your profits into tax havens, so we have less tax to pay out universal credit!