Church bells can be heard ringing across the country. Out of curiosity, Tim, did Brenda Matthews over on the TRUK site point you in the direction of the HMRC publication you linked to? I know her well….
Bloke in Wales
Can anyone else hear the sound of spluttering coming from the direction of Ely?
Tim Worstall
No….she reminded me of its existence, yes. But I first saw it on the sadly departed FCA blog. So, a quick Google to find it again this morning.
Luis Enrique
Aside from enjoyment of hoisting Murphy, everybody already said avoidance is legal and you have said no more here.
AndrewC
@Tim – Glad to have jogged your memory. I mean Brenda is. HMRC bought out that as a direct response to the sort of nonsense Murphy and his ilk were spouting at the time. It’s the world-weary tone of “that’s not tax avoidance, it’s just the way corporation tax works” that I most sympathise with.
BraveFart
In the photo, you can see quite serious cracks have already appeared…
Rob
New keyboard for Ely, please.
Marc
Thank you Tim, and thanks to Richard if you’re reading here.
The Meissen Bison
Good pic but why no blindfold?
Lizardking
Sweet Jesus, Dunning-Kruger out in full force today.
In response to Anth telling Murphy his Oxfam analysis is going to haunt him:
“I can live with that
Being right is a comfortable place to be
And you can’t domestically avoid a government endorsed domestic tax arrangement”
I mean, just WTF???
Van_Patten
Lizardking
It’s one of the most moronic posts I have ever seen (and that is against some very stiff competition) – but no doubt all will be forgotten and he will return to find another hobby horse to ride next week…..
Lizardking
VP – I love his end note (in an attempt, I’m sure, to convince himself rather than anyone else):
“I really am on the right side here”
Richard
Superb. Nice work Tim.
Although I’m not sure I agree with you that none of it is tax avoidance. My view is it’s all tax avoidance, and that’s fine.
Richard
Lizardking, I suspect he means “I am on the side of the right people here”, and that therefore anything he says to defend them must be wise and righteous.
Noel Scoper
Ritchie complains that PWC are doing a conference in a building owned by Opus Dei.
The man who sells his books in Amazon, but says they are bad.
The man who uses Apple products, but says they are bad.
The man who flies round the world to talk to a room of 10 people, but says flying is bad.
“All talks will take place in the Lord Ashcroft Building on Anglia Ruskin’s Cambridge campus, are free to attend, and no booking is required.”
I wish I’d know, I’d have flown in just to get a photo of him in front of that building.
Flatcap Army
You have reminded me of the late lamented FCAblog – was it the Murphmeister who outed him and complained to his employers?
Rob
Opus fucking Dei? Does he think anyone gives a shit? Who does he think he is today, Tom Hanks?
Van_Patten
Flatcap Army
It was – Murphy has a penchant for stool pigeons – they are an essential part of his ‘Curajus State’ vision
Rob
Given his resemblance to various fringe crank conspiracy theorists I wouldn’t be surprised if he used the ‘Da Vinci code’ as source material – it would be more substantial than his claims over ‘The Tax Gap’ for example….
jgh
Murphy has called me bizzare. I must add that to my CV. 🙂
So, what is it called when I avoid, oops musn’t call it that, err, not pay any tax on the first £10k of my income because the law has been concisously written by the government to state that I avoid, oops, do not pay any tax on the first £10k of my income.
Jim
“everybody already said avoidance is legal and you have said no more here.”
Ah, yes but this has put the ‘spirit of the law’ issue to bed. We now know thanks to Richard Murphy (Pbuh) that if HMRC are happy with your tax affairs you are indeed tax compliant with not only the letter, but also the spirit of the law, and no complaints can be made about the morality (or not) of ones actions.
It collapses everything back to tax evasion (naughty naughty, go straight to jail) and tax avoidance (Within the law, OK with HMRC, therefore perfectly ethical behaviour).
Excellent!
Jim
Oh, and we also now know that if your tax affairs look slightly suspect, and people raise the question as to whether they are completely above board and beyond reproach, and HMRC declines to investigate and/or prosecute you, then this also means your affairs are squeaky clean.
Its quite clear, the Tax Oracle has declared it so.
Marvellous.
Beautiful, quite exquisite.
Enjoyed reading that, ta.
Church bells can be heard ringing across the country. Out of curiosity, Tim, did Brenda Matthews over on the TRUK site point you in the direction of the HMRC publication you linked to? I know her well….
Can anyone else hear the sound of spluttering coming from the direction of Ely?
No….she reminded me of its existence, yes. But I first saw it on the sadly departed FCA blog. So, a quick Google to find it again this morning.
Aside from enjoyment of hoisting Murphy, everybody already said avoidance is legal and you have said no more here.
@Tim – Glad to have jogged your memory. I mean Brenda is. HMRC bought out that as a direct response to the sort of nonsense Murphy and his ilk were spouting at the time. It’s the world-weary tone of “that’s not tax avoidance, it’s just the way corporation tax works” that I most sympathise with.
In the photo, you can see quite serious cracks have already appeared…
New keyboard for Ely, please.
Thank you Tim, and thanks to Richard if you’re reading here.
Good pic but why no blindfold?
Sweet Jesus, Dunning-Kruger out in full force today.
In response to Anth telling Murphy his Oxfam analysis is going to haunt him:
“I can live with that
Being right is a comfortable place to be
And you can’t domestically avoid a government endorsed domestic tax arrangement”
I mean, just WTF???
Lizardking
It’s one of the most moronic posts I have ever seen (and that is against some very stiff competition) – but no doubt all will be forgotten and he will return to find another hobby horse to ride next week…..
VP – I love his end note (in an attempt, I’m sure, to convince himself rather than anyone else):
“I really am on the right side here”
Superb. Nice work Tim.
Although I’m not sure I agree with you that none of it is tax avoidance. My view is it’s all tax avoidance, and that’s fine.
Lizardking, I suspect he means “I am on the side of the right people here”, and that therefore anything he says to defend them must be wise and righteous.
Ritchie complains that PWC are doing a conference in a building owned by Opus Dei.
The man who sells his books in Amazon, but says they are bad.
The man who uses Apple products, but says they are bad.
The man who flies round the world to talk to a room of 10 people, but says flying is bad.
However, this is most funny:
http://www.anglia.ac.uk/news/corbyn-adviser-to-share-joy-of-tax
“All talks will take place in the Lord Ashcroft Building on Anglia Ruskin’s Cambridge campus, are free to attend, and no booking is required.”
I wish I’d know, I’d have flown in just to get a photo of him in front of that building.
You have reminded me of the late lamented FCAblog – was it the Murphmeister who outed him and complained to his employers?
Opus fucking Dei? Does he think anyone gives a shit? Who does he think he is today, Tom Hanks?
Flatcap Army
It was – Murphy has a penchant for stool pigeons – they are an essential part of his ‘Curajus State’ vision
Rob
Given his resemblance to various fringe crank conspiracy theorists I wouldn’t be surprised if he used the ‘Da Vinci code’ as source material – it would be more substantial than his claims over ‘The Tax Gap’ for example….
Murphy has called me bizzare. I must add that to my CV. 🙂
So, what is it called when I avoid, oops musn’t call it that, err, not pay any tax on the first £10k of my income because the law has been concisously written by the government to state that I avoid, oops, do not pay any tax on the first £10k of my income.
“everybody already said avoidance is legal and you have said no more here.”
Ah, yes but this has put the ‘spirit of the law’ issue to bed. We now know thanks to Richard Murphy (Pbuh) that if HMRC are happy with your tax affairs you are indeed tax compliant with not only the letter, but also the spirit of the law, and no complaints can be made about the morality (or not) of ones actions.
It collapses everything back to tax evasion (naughty naughty, go straight to jail) and tax avoidance (Within the law, OK with HMRC, therefore perfectly ethical behaviour).
Excellent!
Oh, and we also now know that if your tax affairs look slightly suspect, and people raise the question as to whether they are completely above board and beyond reproach, and HMRC declines to investigate and/or prosecute you, then this also means your affairs are squeaky clean.
Its quite clear, the Tax Oracle has declared it so.