Simple way to clamp down on tax evasion

[mafya 246]

Buying knock off fags is tax evasion.

 

That is illegal and makes those who do it into criminals.

 

Criminals should be dealt with robustly by the law, don't you think Penny?

 

Maybe if the Govt didn't put so much tax on cigarettes the temptation to buy knock offs wouldn't be so high.

smoking is an addiction, people buy knock off cigarettes due to affordability.

[*_ash_* 88]

Buying knock off fags is tax evasion.

 

That is illegal and makes those who do it into criminals.

 

Criminals should be dealt with robustly by the law, don't you think Penny?

 

I bet he wished he never mentioned the cigs all those years ago

 

---------- Post added 03-11-2016 at 02:00 ----------

 

Maybe if the Govt didn't put so much tax on cigarettes the temptation to buy knock offs wouldn't be so high.

smoking is an addiction, people buy knock off cigarettes due to affordability.

 

 

Maybe if the Govt didn't put so much tax on cigarettes the temptation to buy knock offs wouldn't be so high.

smoking is an addiction, people buy knock off cigarettes due to affordability.

 

Or dislike for paying ridiculously high taxes

Edited November 3, 2016 by *_ash_*

[RonJeremy 10]

Buying knock off fags is tax evasion.

 

That is illegal and makes those who do it into criminals.

 

Criminals should be dealt with robustly by the law, don't you think Penny?

 

Question. Is Penistone's activity buying illegal cigarettes worse than my tax avoidance?

The effect to the treasury is the same.

When I go to Europe I stock up on hundreds of cigarettes bring them home and rarely smoke UK fags.

I go away on business (tax allowable) and whilst I'm at it, aggressively avoid revenue on fags.

[Robin-H 11]

Question. Is Penistone's activity buying illegal cigarettes worse than my tax avoidance?

The effect to the treasury is the same.

When I go to Europe I stock up on hundreds of cigarettes bring them home and rarely smoke UK fags.

I go away on business (tax allowable) and whilst I'm at it, aggressively avoid revenue on fags.

 

You don't fund crime when you buy from the duty free..

[Cyclone 10]

The issue being discussed wasn't whether you had any ethical problems with it, it was whether a Taxbo would be an effective way of preventing tax avoidance / evasion, and I think it's clear that it could work.

 

I think it would be unworkable, unethical and it would drive business away from the UK even faster than brexit.

 

---------- Post added 03-11-2016 at 08:47 ----------

 

Originally Posted by Cyclone :

 

Have customers buy materials so the business is not seeing that money as turnover.

 

 

 

Very good point. We only sell aerial stuff now, but when we did install we were quite happy to fit customers aerials partly because, as you say, you`ve got a get out if there`s any problem.

As a point to Cyclone, who doesn`t seem to accept my point that most tradesmen don`t want to let the customer buy the materials (because they lose the profit on them) we get this frequently when we sell stuff to customers who get an installer to fit them. Some installers point blank refuse to fit stuff they haven`t supplied, and it most certainly isn`t a quality issue because our stuff is very high quality, it`s because they want to make more on the job. Incidentally it`s not uncommon for the installers to actually lie that our stuff isn`t suitable, just so they can sell the customer an aerial or whatever, in fact we actually mention this on our site ! :

I didn't reject that point at all. I don't really care if some installers want to supply materials, that will simply make it less likely that they can stay under the VAT threshold.

What did I say that you could possibly interpret as me not accepting that some tradesmen want to supply the materials as well?

 

No I don`t want to argue with someone who just wants to argue for the sake of it. I have already explained how the HMRC tax inspectors can use an invoice (which isn`t subsequently put through the books) to prove tax evasion. I accept they have to have the manpower to do so, but that is a separate argument.

 

You've misunderstood. I'm arguing with you because you're wrong and haven't explained how bits of paper with unknown people could possibly be located by tax inspectors.

Imagine that you're a tax inspector right now, and you suspect me of having not put something through the books. Explain to me how you will magically locate the one person in Sheffield who I've given an invoice too and not recorded the sale. I'm fascinated (and I've made it easy, they're located in Sheffield, only 500k people to start asking).

[RonJeremy 10]

You don't fund crime when you buy from the duty free..

 

I was thinking more from the point of view of the exchequer.

Sort of along the lines of the thread. About tax avoidance/evasion.

The two have the same net effect.

My avoidance is legal. Evasion is not.

[Justin Smith 10]

You've misunderstood. I'm arguing with you because you're wrong and haven't explained how bits of paper with unknown people could possibly be located by tax inspectors.

Imagine that you're a tax inspector right now, and you suspect me of having not put something through the books. Explain to me how you will magically locate the one person in Sheffield who I've given an invoice too and not recorded the sale. I'm fascinated (and I've made it easy, they're located in Sheffield, only 500k people to start asking).

 

I don`t think I do misunderstand you Cyclone.....

But, just for the record, you`re looking at this from the wrong end of the deal. The HMRC gest hold of an invoice from a business which it suspects of tax avoidance. It may get the receipt from it`s own "test purchase" or from a dissatisfied customer of the scumbag tax avoiding tradesman. It then asks to see the businesses' books. Hey presto, where is the record of this sale ? You`re collared mate.

[Penistone999 10]

I bet he wished he never mentioned the cigs all those years ago

 

---------- Post added 03-11-2016 at 02:00 ----------

 

 

 

 

 

Or dislike for paying ridiculously high taxes

 

Not at all. Im not alone. Millions of smokers buy knock off . Why pay £20 for a pack of bacca when you can buy the same one for £8 ?

 

When you tax something to death , people see a gap in the market and supply the same product cheaper.

[Cyclone 10]

I don`t think I do misunderstand you Cyclone.....

But, just for the record, you`re looking at this from the wrong end of the deal. The HMRC gest hold of an invoice from a business which it suspects of tax avoidance. It may get the receipt from it`s own "test purchase" or from a dissatisfied customer of the scumbag tax avoiding tradesman. It then asks to see the businesses' books. Hey presto, where is the record of this sale ? You`re collared mate.

 

So tax enforcement would depend on either test purchases (who test purchases a garden being weeded, or a wall being plastered), or annoyed customers randomly submitting receipts that they've been given. So the tradesmen have to be sure to put any annoyed customers through the books...

And all the time it wastes with annoyed customer invoices that ARE in the books?

[Bob Arctor 11]

I think it would be unworkable, unethical and it would drive business away from the UK even faster than brexit).

 

But you haven't explained once in the thread why you think it's unworkable.

[Justin Smith 10]

Not at all. Im not alone. Millions of smokers buy knock off . Why pay £20 for a pack of bacca when you can buy the same one for £8 ?

 

When you tax something to death , people see a gap in the market and supply the same product cheaper.

 

Sorry, are you saying you buy illegal cigarettes ? As well as evading paying your fair share of tax to the country ? If your "English and proud" I`d hate to think how you`d act if you weren`t.

 

---------- Post added 04-11-2016 at 14:41 ----------

 

So tax enforcement would depend on either test purchases (who test purchases a garden being weeded, or a wall being plastered), or annoyed customers randomly submitting receipts that they've been given. So the tradesmen have to be sure to put any annoyed customers through the books...

And all the time it wastes with annoyed customer invoices that ARE in the books?

 

I`d have thought a high proportion of tradesmen caught for tax evasion are from reports from the public. Far from thinking the people doing the reporting are grasses or similar, I think they`re to be applauded, they`re doing their duty to the country (and my wallet, obviously).

As for the HMRC doing test purchases, obviously that`s a load of trouble, but catching tax evaders is their job. Most police investigations are a load of trouble too.

Edited November 4, 2016 by Justin Smith

[Cyclone 10]

I doubt that there are many useful reports at all. I've never had access to the tax return of someone doing my plastering, so how would I know whether they are paying the correct tax or not?