Benefits cheating

[The Voice of Reason]

23 minutes ago, woolley said:

The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies finance centres exist to enrich the UK economy by drawing in investment to the City. UK taxpayers would have to stump up a lot more without us.

Eh?

[parchedpeas]

1 hour ago, woolley said:

The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies finance centres exist to enrich the UK economy by drawing in investment to the City. UK taxpayers would have to stump up a lot more without us.

I imagine Baroness Mone would agree with you. Opinions differ. Here's what ChatGPT thinks of your reply. The emphasis is mine:

The relationship between the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies is complex and nuanced. It's not entirely accurate to say that these jurisdictions exist solely to enrich the UK economy.

These territories and dependencies do have financial sectors that often operate with lower tax rates and more lenient financial regulations. This can attract foreign investment, some of which might make its way back to the UK's financial sector, especially the City of London.

However, it's an oversimplification to say that UK taxpayers would have to pay a lot more without these jurisdictions. Critics argue that tax havens can facilitate tax avoidance and evasion, thereby reducing public revenues. If companies and individuals are not paying their fair share of taxes because they are moving assets to these jurisdictions, then this could actually place a higher tax burden on ordinary UK taxpayers.

So, while there may be economic benefits, there are also ethical and fiscal issues to consider. 

 

Anyway, I'll not derail the thread and I'll let you all get back on with beating up on the little people who make mistakes / try it on.

Edited October 5, 2023 by parchedpeas

[HeliX]

2 hours ago, Barlow said:

It's disturbing seeing the amount of posters attempting to justify the dishonest taking of £30k, and how they dress it up. A form of left-wing wokism gone crazy.

You're missing the point. The complaint is the amount of attention this gets compared to the rest of what's going on. Like complaining about a paper cut when your legs have come off.

[The Voice of Reason]

Whatever jurisdiction you are in, a supposed tax haven or not, benefit fraud, shoplifting, not declaring your real income for taxation purposes are all morally wrong.

And shouldn’t be excused because there is others stuff going on that involve larger amounts of money.

Edited October 5, 2023 by The Voice of Reason
Addition of second oara

[The Voice of Reason]

8 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Duplicate 

Edited October 5, 2023 by The Voice of Reason

[HeliX]

49 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Whatever jurisdiction you are in, a supposed tax haven or not, benefit fraud, shoplifting, not declaring your real income for taxation purposes are all morally wrong.

And shouldn’t be excused because there is others stuff going on that involve larger amounts of money.

Shoplifting to feed your family isn't wrong.

Hiding income to avoid tax when you're wealthy is.

[Barlow]

4 hours ago, HeliX said:

You're missing the point. The complaint is the amount of attention this gets compared to the rest of what's going on. Like complaining about a paper cut when your legs have come off.

Except it's nothing like that, is it.

[The Voice of Reason]

4 hours ago, HeliX said:

Shoplifting to feed your family isn't wrong.

Shoplifting per se is.

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by The Voice of Reason

[The Voice of Reason]

6 hours ago, HeliX said:

Shoplifting to feed your family isn't wrong.

A small independent shopkeeper struggling to make a living to feed their own family may have their own view on this 

[HeliX]

2 hours ago, The Voice of Reason said:

A small independent shopkeeper struggling to make a living to feed their own family may have their own view on this 

Steal from Shoprite then.

[Barlow]

11 hours ago, HeliX said:

Shoplifting to feed your family isn't wrong.

 

Yes it is. Of course it is. Getting a job to feed your family is right.

Get that into your head, dude.

[woolley]

15 hours ago, woolley said:

The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies finance centres exist to enrich the UK economy by drawing in investment to the City. UK taxpayers would have to stump up a lot more without us.

 

14 hours ago, parchedpeas said:

I imagine Baroness Mone would agree with you. Opinions differ. Here's what ChatGPT thinks of your reply. The emphasis is mine:

The relationship between the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies is complex and nuanced. It's not entirely accurate to say that these jurisdictions exist solely to enrich the UK economy.

These territories and dependencies do have financial sectors that often operate with lower tax rates and more lenient financial regulations. This can attract foreign investment, some of which might make its way back to the UK's financial sector, especially the City of London.

However, it's an oversimplification to say that UK taxpayers would have to pay a lot more without these jurisdictions. Critics argue that tax havens can facilitate tax avoidance and evasion, thereby reducing public revenues. If companies and individuals are not paying their fair share of taxes because they are moving assets to these jurisdictions, then this could actually place a higher tax burden on ordinary UK taxpayers.

So, while there may be economic benefits, there are also ethical and fiscal issues to consider.

I'm impressed with the ChatGPT response. Intriguing. My point was only slightly tongue in cheek, but it was meant to stimulate further thought and debate.

Of course action should be taken against mulitnational organisations engaged in tax base erosion and profit shifting. Good luck with it though. Everybody wants to shut everyone else's tax havens down, but not so much their own. The point does remain however, that the City has an extensive network of satellites around the world pulling in wealth to its centre, and to the UK.

It may not be entirely accurate to say that these jurisdictions exist solely to enrich the UK economy, a la ChatGPT, and you will note that I didn't mention 'solely'. However, everything we do is with the connivance of the UK. Put it the other way around. How long do you think we would last if we were ploughing our own furrow here against the interests of the UK? Now, how we define the interests of the UK is a different minefield altogether.

[woolley]

12 hours ago, HeliX said:

Shoplifting to feed your family isn't wrong.

Hiding income to avoid tax when you're wealthy is.

Theft is never good and should never be justified. Road to anarchy. Shoplifters aren't often doing it to feed their family anyway.

[HeliX]

2 minutes ago, woolley said:

Theft is never good and should never be justified. Road to anarchy. Shoplifters aren't often doing it to feed their family anyway.

It's not good, but it's sometimes justified.

If my child needed food and I had no money you better believe I'd steal it.

[WTF]

3 minutes ago, woolley said:

Theft is never good and should never be justified. Road to anarchy. Shoplifters aren't often doing it to feed their family anyway.

the british empire was built on the theft of territories for their resources ,  theft is engrained in british and many other cultures.