Is it OK to break the law if you are a Tory?

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

If we did that Fleurpepper I think we all know what we’d find!
Clue, it wouldn’t be the Labour Shadow Ministers.😁

Perhaps we could do a list, and compare the 'fortunes' of Tory Ministers and Labour Shadow Ministers ;)

shall we?

Cheat the government out of a few thousand through benefit fraud and you're likely to feel the full weight of law upon you. But when it comes to tax evasion amounting to millions (or 'conning' them out of similar amounts for non-existent PPE schemes), you're likely to be rewarded with a peerage.

Dan Neidle was previously head of tax at Clifford Chance and knows an awful lot about the subject. Such a clever family.

So it seems that old those honest non fiddling Tories should be the first to denounce Zawahi and others who give them all a bad name. NO?

Well, there is some logical truth in there! Think about it.

I know very few people who vote Labour or Green who have fortues large enough to warrant paying very expensive Tax Accountants to find ways to avoid or evade. Do you?

On the other hand ... yes, I do. Many.

I know I haven't been accused! But some people, if I dare use those words, seem to think this may be peculiar to Conservatives as they are perceived as having money. Ergo the heading.

No-one, but no-one has accused you GSM!

As said, I know that that fine line can be very fine, and moved around a bit (quite a bit).

Fancy that Dan Neidle wow amazing 🤩 he’s a prominent member of the Labour Party and I think went to the local primary school! He’s a very smart cookie 🍪

I know very well the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. I have indulged in neither. One is legal, the other not. Neither is the exclusive province of anybody of a particular political persuasion. I have no problem with anybody indulging in legal tax avoidance though - it is up to the government of the day to close such loopholes as there may be. And that has been happening, but accountants and tax lawyers are clever people. New loopholes appear frequently.

Germanshepherdsmum

Your first paragraph isn’t very pleasant Fleurpepper. We are not all the same and cheats can be found in all walks of life and political persuasions. So easy to tar everyone with the same brush though isn’t it?

I would have thought all those honest tax paying Tories should be ther first to complain to their MPs and the Government- so that no-one is tempted to tar all with same brush. No?

I am sure you know that there is a very fine line between tax avoidance and tax evasion, and that the line can be very cleverly manipulated by an excellent accountant.

In this case though- it is clear as a bell, and Zawahi must resign.

Ilovecheese

Anyone who finds ways to contribute as little as possible to society should not be an M.P. (and should pay to heat their stables themselves)

And their duck houses.

I should have been clearer. My comment was about Tories in Government, not all Tories.

Anyone who finds ways to contribute as little as possible to society should not be an M.P. (and should pay to heat their stables themselves)

Any system can be manipulated if you know the gaps and loopholes and how to use them to advantage. Lawyers, barristers, accountants and the like make a very good living at it.

A bit of background to the story from the New Statesman in July 2022

www.newstatesman.com/business/2022/07/chancellor-tax-expert-nadhim-zahawi

(I hope that a few people aren't averse to reading an article more than 3 sentences long. It does have paragraphs...)

Strange that Zahawi, having previously denied categorically that the shares in the offshore haven were his is now paying the tax due on them...

Fleurpepper

Probably because so many of them are guilty of same! Disgusting.

We should all write to our MPs about this, and say exactly what is in the OP.

Posters might want to read what’s actually posted instead of having a go at Fleurpepper.

Baggs

I've looked at two articles about this (New Statesman and The National because they were the first to appear). It's not clear at this stage that NZ has broken the law on tax.

Piggot presumably had.

Yes, I know tax laws are crazy.

That’s what I was thinking.
Nothing to do with him being a tory.If criminal intent can be proved then he would be prosecuted.

Is it OK to break the law if you are a Tory?

No, but the same question will be asked about Labour MPs when they get into power.
Substitute any word for Tory -Scot, teacher, GN member and the answer’s still no.

biglouis

One of my cousins is a tax accountant and makes his living out of helping people to avoid paying tax - legitimately.

Tax avoidance is (sadly) legal.
Tax evasion isn't.

And this tweet looks a tad hypocritical

I have just read several articles on this, the only time tax evasion is mentioned is in the headlines.

This is about alleged tax avoidance relating to an offshore company, tax avoidance is not illegal.

If anyone is found guilty of any illegality regardless of the party they work for or vote for, then they should receive the appropriate punishment as laid down in the law.

Fleurpepper Probably because so many of them are guilty of same!

Looks like twisting words to me, GSM.

Aye, OK.

There's days I give up on the ability of this posters on this forum to actually consider the things they are posting. I'm off to make soup or something else useful. Just ignore me.

One of my cousins is a tax accountant and makes his living out of helping people to avoid paying tax - legitimately.