The government / HMRC targeting unscrupulously dishonest internet tax avoiders

Bozza · Jul 25, 2015

One thing that all but unites the broad church that is NSC is chasing down those who do not pay their fair share of tax. Those who trade on the internet, taking advantage of the global opportunities it presents, have often been the target of some harsh words on this very website.

That's about to change:

Users of Ebay and other online sales sites are facing a tax crackdown following government plans to obtain data on millions of internet transactions.

HM Revenue and Customs wants to collect information from internet companies such as Paypal that would allow it to identify British users who have an income from online sales.

It is thought that billions of pounds in tax is lost each year through unreported online income.

MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...on-money-made-online-10415482.html?icn=puff-7

Igzilla · Jul 25, 2015

Bozza said:
One thing that all but unites the broad church that is NSC is chasing down those who do not pay their fair share of tax. Those who trade on the internet, taking advantage of the global opportunities it presents, have often been the target of some harsh words on this very website.

That's about to change:

Users of Ebay and other online sales sites are facing a tax crackdown following government plans to obtain data on millions of internet transactions.

HM Revenue and Customs wants to collect information from internet companies such as Paypal that would allow it to identify British users who have an income from online sales.

It is thought that billions of pounds in tax is lost each year through unreported online income.

MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...on-money-made-online-10415482.html?icn=puff-7

All very laudable, but £860m collected over 5 years isn't that much really. Will this go hand in hand with a crackdown with corporate tax avoiders, or is that still going to be a cosy chat with HMRC and a blind eye turned?

studio150 · Jul 25, 2015

I trust they are also going to crack down of the HSBC lemonade girl, not only selling from home, but also trading in foreign currency.

knocky1 · Jul 25, 2015

Good luck.

seagullsovergrimsby · Jul 25, 2015

Funny how the Government turned a blind eye to this when encouraging those on JSA to sign off and become self employed as ebay traders to get the jobless figures down.

carlzeiss · Jul 25, 2015

If that is the case why have the government cut HMRC staff to the bone .

BensGrandad · Jul 25, 2015

Always surprised that some local jobs worth hasnt targetted car boot sales.

beorhthelm · Jul 25, 2015

when i heard this i thought, dont they already?

StonehamPark · Jul 25, 2015

Hopefully they'll do the same with Amazon, Apple, Starbucks et al.

Silly me, much better to take the easier (cheaper) route by punishing the infinitely lower level evaders.

wellquickwoody · Jul 25, 2015

seagullsovergrimsby said:
Funny how the Government turned a blind eye to this when encouraging those on JSA to sign off and become self employed as ebay traders to get the jobless figures down.

Accurate evidence?

wellquickwoody · Jul 25, 2015

StonehamPark said:
Hopefully they'll do the same with Amazon, Apple, Starbucks et al.

Silly me, much better to take the easier (cheaper) route by punishing the infinitely lower level evaders.

Okay for Jobless Joe to take the taxpayers money whilst trading from his subsidised council house then? But businesses that employ thousands thereby contributing to UK PLC have a different rule huh?

How about we attempt to play fair across the spectrum? But then the left will always whinge whatever the plan.

Kuipers Supporters Club · Jul 25, 2015

Never before in Britain's history has so much tax been drawn from so few high earners – and lower tax rates are the cause, well played George.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...t-the-Tories-are-really-milking-the-rich.html

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffee...re-from-the-rich-than-any-uk-chancellor-ever/

Screen-Shot-2015-04-26-at-15.09.59-571x413.png

StonehamPark · Jul 25, 2015

wellquickwoody said:
Okay for Jobless Joe to take the taxpayers money whilst trading from his subsidised council house then?

Did I even hint at anything of the sort?

wellquickwoody said:
But businesses that employ thousands thereby contributing to UK PLC have a different rule huh?

Not at all. Everyone should abide by the law set out in front of them and not exploit it, whether it be the sole-trader or multi-billion pound business operating within the UK.

Was my original post far too complicated to follow or..?

drew · Jul 25, 2015

Brighton4Cambridge3 said:
Never before in Britain's history has so much tax been drawn from so few high earners – and lower tax rates are the cause, well played George.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...t-the-Tories-are-really-milking-the-rich.html

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffee...re-from-the-rich-than-any-uk-chancellor-ever/

View attachment 67276

An alternative view might be that they are paying themselves more because they have benefited more from the recovery with their salaries skyrocketing whilst those at the bottom and in particular the public sector, have seen their salaries pretty much frozen!

Cian · Jul 25, 2015

BensGrandad said:
Always surprised that some local jobs worth hasnt targetted car boot sales.

Selling items you already own and have used is generally not liable for any taxation. Now, car boots often have people who do trade as a living and I'd be pretty certain that they are monitored to some extent but they're not going after James and Mabel selling the contents of their spare room as they're perfectly entitled to do that.

crookie · Jul 26, 2015

wellquickwoody said:
Okay for Jobless Joe to take the taxpayers money whilst trading from his subsidised council house then? But businesses that employ thousands thereby contributing to UK PLC have a different rule huh?

How about we attempt to play fair across the spectrum? But then the left will always whinge whatever the plan.

The point is that Apple/Starbucks/Amazon don't play fair though do they ? They may employ thousands of people in the UK, but that is doubtful, and certainly it will be very few high earners who are actually net contributors in tax. Sure, in Starbucks and in Amazon warehouses there will be plenty on or slightly above minimum wage, that will be paying a pittance if anything in tax whilst probably claiming tax credits if they have kids, so in effect won't be a net contributor in tax, but sure, keep singing their praises if you like, and be happy that a chunk of the tax you pay goes to subsidise the chunk that they aren't. I have my own businesses and they contribute tens of thousands in Duty/VAT/Tax to the UK exchequer, I don't have the possibility of basing myself in Luxumbourg/Ireland/(insert random tax haven) and therefore pay in full my obligations, and am, whilst not 'happy' am OK about doing so, as I realise that services need to be paid for. I don't feel I have to go to any extreme to avoid that obligation. The above companies do, and therefore I don't touch them with a bargepole (shame the OH buys loads off Amazon !!). Disappointing that so many people spend fortunes with these businesses, whilst not getting the connection between that and our massive budget deficit and flat tax receipts in a growing economy

W.C. · Jul 26, 2015

wellquickwoody said:
Okay for Jobless Joe to take the taxpayers money whilst trading from his subsidised council house then? But businesses that employ thousands thereby contributing to UK PLC have a different rule huh?

How about we attempt to play fair across the spectrum? But then the left will always whinge whatever the plan.

er, was that not exactly what he was suggesting?
Be honest, the only whinging here is coming from you.

Westdene Seagull · Jul 26, 2015

wellquickwoody said:
Accurate evidence?

Personal experience. As you come to the end of your six months on JSA the job centre encourage you to become self employed. They offer you a free course and then move you to another benefit ( can't remember the name off hand ) for six months. This removes you from the jobless figures. It also prevents you from claiming JSA should your business fail as you're unlikely to have paid enough NI during that period. When going through this process myself I got one of those idiot public sector worker blank looks when I asked where I was meant to find the capital to start this business they were suggesting. It's nothing more than a manipulation of the jobless figures similar to the old NHS trick of weighing you when you got to hospital regardless of your injury or illness because it allowed them to hit the target for seeing all patients within x minutes.

wellquickwoody · Jul 26, 2015

Westdene Seagull said:
Personal experience. As you come to the end of your six months on JSA the job centre encourage you to become self employed. They offer you a free course and then move you to another benefit ( can't remember the name off hand ) for six months. This removes you from the jobless figures. It also prevents you from claiming JSA should your business fail as you're unlikely to have paid enough NI during that period. When going through this process myself I got one of those idiot public sector worker blank looks when I asked where I was meant to find the capital to start this business they were suggesting. It's nothing more than a manipulation of the jobless figures similar to the old NHS trick of weighing you when you got to hospital regardless of your injury or illness because it allowed them to hit the target for seeing all patients within x minutes.

I will not question your personal experience as stated, more raising an eyebrow to the claim that people are encouraged to become EBay traders, unless you have also experienced this as well?

Westdene Seagull · Jul 26, 2015

wellquickwoody said:
I will not question your personal experience as stated, more raising an eyebrow to the claim that people are encouraged to become EBay traders, unless you have also experienced this as well?

When you go for your chat they suggest a number of ideas that you could go into business with ( quite what qualification someone sitting behind a DWP desk and who has never worked for themselves has to advise on setting up a business is open to question ) based on your experience. I work in IT and for some reason that qualified me to maybe start a business writing websites or even selling computer bits on the internet ( ebay wasn't directly mentioned but the implication was there ).

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