Director of the UK Taxpayer's Alliance hasn't paid tax in UK since 1973!!

Oh dear, you couldn't make it up. Alexander Heath, a director of the Taxpayer's Alliance, who claim to represent UK taxpayers and lobby for lower taxes (and are very close to the Tories), hasn't paid tax in the UK since moving to France 36 years ago! So why does he think it's right for him to campaign over something which has no effect on him at all? http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-director-tax

erm, but if he's exempt from uk tax then why should he?

would you?

I see no harm in this, unless there more to the story than is being reported....

So why does he think it's right for him to campaign over something which has no effect on him at all?

That's a bizarre question. Why do only people who are directly affected by some item, have the ability to form an opinion on it? I've never been murdered, but I have a fairly strong opinion about murder being wrong...

That's a bizarre question. Why do only people who are directly affected by some item, have the ability to form an opinion on it? I've never been murdered, but I have a fairly strong opinion about murder being wrong...

Of course it's ok to have an opinion on something that doesn't affect you. But being a director of a campaign group is a lot more than having an opinion on something. Tax cuts would equate to cuts in services, services which he hasn't used for 36 years. If you want to campaign on domestic policy, you should be willing to accept the consequences of those policies - he would be unaffected.

erm, but if he's exempt from uk tax then why should he?

 

would you?

 

I see no harm in this, unless there more to the story than is being reported....

Do you not think it at least odd that a campaign group calling itself the TaxPayer's alliance isn't even led by a Taxpayer, and that its funding comes from someone that avoids paying tax?

The real issue is the publicity they receive, 500 articles in the Daily Mail last year and 200 in the Sun. Their name misleadingly implies that their views are in some way representative of tax payers.

They are not, tax payers generally don't want to see taxes on the rich reduced and subsidised by direct taxation on the poor.

The Other Taxpayer's Alliance:

http://www.taxpayersalliance.org/

Another non-taxpayer Michael Ashcroft appears to provide some if not all the funding for the group. A man who has some very dodgy dealings and is a lobbyist for and involved in some dodgy dealings with off-shore tax avoidance.

I would suggest a genuine alliance of Tax payers would probably be a lot more concerned with getting people that avoid paying tax to pay their fair share.

personally I think its a storm in a tea cup. he pays tax in france - where he lives. and i'm sure if he moved back to the uk he would resume paying tax again.

Tax cuts would equate to cuts in services

That doesn't follow. Lowering the rate of taxes quite often leads to an increase in the amount of tax income.

That doesn't follow. Lowering the rate of taxes quite often leads to an increase in the amount of tax income.

Whilst there is a possibility that over taxation can reduce the amount of tax revenue, 'quite often' seems an exaggeration.

Can you think of an example that hasn't just been fearmongering from those affected?