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"The question of morality is another matter and always causes controversy and it seems unlikely that anyone on either side of that fiery debate will back down."
As of course, if arrangements are legal, is the morality of parties reading stolen information about the financial affairs of various individuals and publishing details of same. I do not expect ,when I have guests at home, to say, "pop up to my study if you want to smoke and don't look at the papers", I don't not need to make that last statement, it is implicit re morality / manners that it would be an invasion of my privacy. What we have here is theft coupled with handling stolen goods by the media, great example of morality.
The public "right" to know is only on point where the activities are illegal, so maybe those publishing ought to have a thought that morality is not merely theirs to cast around but applies to other facets of human behaviour.
I am not keen on illegal tax evasion, but frankly the current crop of articles has the media as judge, jury and executioner, (Salem revisited) what about the presumption of innocence, oh, lets ride roughshod over that, we must be right, we are the media after all?
Sickening bunch of hypocritical b******s.
I have to say I am with DJKL on the point of "morality", if such a word is actually relevant to tax planning.
The public have no right to know, it's salacious mongering by media outlets based on, as pointed out stolen data.
In addition who wouldn't try and minimise their tax ? If i could afford to save (instead of keeping Mrs D in shoes ) I'd use an ISA. Why not avoid tax on interest. If i had £10M to invest, why on earth would i ensure that more tax than the law requires was paid. This phrase "the right amount" is oft bandied about, but it is not a thing easily defined.
Politicians and treasury officials from around the world write the tax laws - it's up to them to get it right.
Also i like the phrase "storm in a non-existent teacup"
I think that if we want to add 'morality' into the tax system, we also need to add equity.
This blog says it all really:
https://www.sharesoc.org/blog/taxation/confessions-tax-avoider/
Of course much of this is not illegal, but at the same time you can have the likes of Bono spouting how we need to be more charitable whilst he ensures he pays little or no tax.
If these things are legal why are people so touchy - Starbucks avoids tax legally....why are they bothered what the British public think....does it perhaps not reflect them in the best light.....