Tax haven scandal - storm in a very large spreadsheet?

I'm sure you computer nerds can find plenty of places online and are able to set up hidden files and bury them deep within your computer systems surrounded by umpteen fire walls to stash your cash. Plumbers are old fashioned and like to hide it with extensions, summer houses and holiday villas....

On a serious note I find all sides of the argument a bit hypocritical.... On the one hand you'll have politicians saying do as I say, rather do as I do. These people are always the ones with the wealth but they will be attacked for being immoral in their tax avoidance schemes, none of which is actually illegal. The attacks will generally come from the working / middle class of people. The same people who ask me time and time again that if they pay me in cash can we avoid the vat element of the bill. Which then puts me in an awkward situation, do I accept the job as cash and not declare it? If I declare it I'm still liable for the vat regardless of whether the customer paid it or not. Or do I stick to the law and lose the job?.... As I live in the real world I know what happens. If we can avoid paying a tax we all will, that's why we employ accountants to make sure that everything we can claim for is claimed for and we only pay the bare minimum that is owed. The amount of tax owed or rather that is avoided by the relevant groups of people be it 20% vat or 40% income tax does not give one group of people the the higher moral ground to criticize the other... after all we all want to avoid it if we can and we all will if we get the chance....

Completely agree, it is funny hearing the out cry from the person in the street, or the Jeremy Kyle show candidate the BBC invariably ends up interviewing to make a point about horrible rich people. Yet most people turn a blind eye to cash in hand without declaring it, or beating up traders to knock of the VAT for cash (obviously never done that ). 

I'll do anything I can do to pay less tax, so your right, is it any different for the wealthy?

Where there is a difference is a sense of right and wrong. I happily gave up child tax allowance when we could have claimed it, which seemed wrong to me, and I am a big believer in the country living within it's means.

But business wise, the government gets more than their £ of flesh from us. So I'm happy to listen to my accountant and be as tax efficient as possible. If I was worth millions, then Virgin Islands bank account here I come 

Sigh. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Personally I don't pay cash in hand to avoid VAT and never will I. But I realise morals are pretty outdated and people are in it for themselves mostly. If people were more society minded we would be better off. I find it disgusting seeing all the tax avoidance, legal or not. But clearly the issue is the law and our tax laws are preposterous. Obviously the Government won't want to change it as them and their chums are benefiting the most. Bet Jimmy Carr is chuckling though. 

I don't know, looking around the modern world and us Brits don't seem to bad morals wise. Human nature is to look out for yourself and your family, but there are plenty of examples of people being more society minded in this country.

Look at things like your local Air Ambulance, who funds that? The average person in the street, voluntarily. Look at the growth of charities and social enterprises, then look at things like Comic Relief, Sport Relief and Children in Need and the sheer volume of money they raise from us ordinary folk.

The doom and gloom news will tell us otherwise, but we're not a bad lot really.  I'd sooner be taking the mickey out of bumbling Boris and posh Cameron than worrying about Trump becoming our leader or some corrupt <insert country> dictator.

That's very true about Trump....scary stuff. You say we're not a bad lot but I still think anyone who voted Tory needs to take a LONG, HARD look at themselves as the poor and disabled are getting shafted, schools are getting wrecked the NHS is being sold off all because people just voted for what was best for them, not society. But I think I am a lone voice on here with that. Ha. 

I think we have aired a few differing opinions on what fair is and what isn't.

As a Nation we all want something for nothing. Insurance companies are inundated with fake or grossly exaggerated claims for personal injury. You ask the man on the street if they have done it and i bet 7-8 out of 10 people will admit to exaggerating their claim as they see it as free money! Don't even get me started on PPI 

Benefits are in a right sorry state. Too many free loaders who see it as a lifestyle choice not a necessity!

My personal favorite quote that i saw on Facebook a few years ago was someone complaining they had not receive their benefits and that they were broke, only then to go on and boast that they had a brand new Blackberry.

In my opinion, benefits should be means tested - if you can afford Sky TV, big screen tv's, mobile phones and take away meals 4 times a week, then you are getting far too much in benefits !

Benefits should be paying for essential items not luxuries as above. I have to work damn hard to have a nice car, phone, clothes and the odd dram on a weekend !