Blairs saved £312k in stamp duty deal.

I can’t see why this is of relevance now. They didn’t do anything illegal, and Tony Blair left power in 2008. There are far more important current issues to exercise angst about surely?

Yeah, but "Blairs save money in entirely legal manner" pales a bit when faced with "Major Tory Party donor might be a crook".

I thought this post was about ‘The Blairs’ not Boris Johnson? I do wish some posters would read the original post. I know Blair and Boris start with the same letter but really?

Andrew has close relationship with Crown Estate despot. #PandoraLeaks
independent.co.uk/news/business/news/duke-york-meet-azeri-despot-ilham-aliyev-12th-time-9857222.html

Four years ago when the paradise papers were released the Queen and Prince Charles were shown to be investing offshore. Will these new documents show they’ve stopped or continued their offshore investments?
#abolishthemonarchy

Anyone who buys an ISA is avoiding tax legally.

paddyann54

Well brexit WAS pushed through to protect offshore laundering of money .....the EU brought in new laws to stop it in January !THAT was the main reason FOR Brexit and the gullible public bought the lies about the NHS etc etc .

Utter rubbish. Where do these conspiracy theories come from???

If it's legal, it's allowed. Who are we to judge other people's morals until we are in the same position? However..... I do wish the powers that be would make it illegal and close all other similar loopholes.

nadateturbe

^There is a good case to be made about the wealthy hoarding resources while much of the world population lives in absolute poverty, but how many posters would do the same if given the opportunity?^
What is the point in hoarding millions/billions?

There isn't a point, is there? Unless it's being used productively it's just dead stuff. Numbers on a screen.

Of course, some of it is being used. For making more money to add to the hoard and for bribery to acquire power.

What is shameful is that the UK is one of the prime enablers of this hoarding...

There is a good case to be made about the wealthy hoarding resources while much of the world population lives in absolute poverty, but how many posters would do the same if given the opportunity?
What is the point in hoarding millions/billions?

paddyann54

Well brexit WAS pushed through to protect offshore laundering of money .....the EU brought in new laws to stop it in January !THAT was the main reason FOR Brexit and the gullible public bought the lies about the NHS etc etc .

Agreed.

Urmstongran

All wealthy people use accountants to mitigate their taxes. It’s a legal loophole. Morally, awful. But they do it. I think it’s known as tax avoidance rather than tax evasion (which IS a crime).

Yes and the papers are covering tax evasion, corruption and bribery as well.

Maybe I should have said most of our betters.......
I have heard of one or two of either persuasion playing by the rules.

All wealthy people use accountants to mitigate their taxes. It’s a legal loophole. Morally, awful. But they do it. I think it’s known as tax avoidance rather than tax evasion (which IS a crime).

Agree witzend?.

It is true that our 'betters' think taxes are there for the plebs to pay.
No matter which colour they ascribe to.

Whitewavemark2

I know! - just wait until you read about the Tories who actually broke the actual law by committing bribery and corruption, to the tune of millions and millions.

One of them bankrolled Johnson.

I just knew someone would come up straight away with ‘What about the Tories?’ ??

Callistemon

Taxes are only for the little people.

Was ever thus.

Considering the outcry from some there was recently on a thread about Social Care at the thought of people having to use their 'hard earned money' on social care rather than pass it on to their children it seems to me that the wealthy are protecting 'their' money too, but on a much a much larger scale.

I'm not saying that I approve in any way of what the wealthy do but getting indignant about the Blairs doing something that is currently perfectly legal, seems a bit odd.

There is a good case to be made about the wealthy hoarding resources while much of the world population lives in absolute poverty, but how many posters would do the same if given the opportunity?

Taxes are only for the little people.

paddyann54

Well brexit WAS pushed through to protect offshore laundering of money .....the EU brought in new laws to stop it in January !THAT was the main reason FOR Brexit and the gullible public bought the lies about the NHS etc etc .

??

Well brexit WAS pushed through to protect offshore laundering of money .....the EU brought in new laws to stop it in January !THAT was the main reason FOR Brexit and the gullible public bought the lies about the NHS etc etc .

Is there anyway Brexit can be blamed for this????

It was a lot of money but as has been said it was the set up already there.
Did you read the list of the leaders and amounts involved? The Stamp Duty involved was peanuts compared to the other monies.

Nothing surprises me about any of them any more.

Didn't Cherie set up a private medical company too, in anticipation of the privatisation of the NHS? Allegedly.

Josianne

They all always find loopholes.

They make the loopholes!

This isn’t as unusual as you might think with valuable London properties, many of which are owned by companies. If a property is already owned by a company you can just buy the company and stamp duty is paid only on the transfer of shares in the company, a much smaller sum than stamp duty on the value of the property. It isn’t something the buyers (in this case the Blairs) arrange. There is no tax avoidance or evasion. No wrongdoing on the part of buyer or seller. No blame attached to either party.