Income Tax Avoidance

[AliasAggers]

I see (or rather, read) that many high paid BBC people are avoiding paying income tax
by having their salaries paid In such a way that they avoid paying any. It appears that
this practice of tax avoidance is not illegal, which I find rather strange. Why isn't it?
Could it be that the people who's responsibility it is to pass the necessary legislation
might find themselves out-of-pocket it this was done? As someone who throughout my
working life - and as a pensioner - have always been required to pay income tax, I am
somewhat annoyed that these sorts of tax-evading schemes are allowed.

[manxie]

You only get these perks if you are a friend of the government and/or rich.

Us commoners are the ones who just make them rich and greedy.

You nor I have any chance of doing it ever

Manxie xx

[cromwell]

Especially annoying when the bbc said they were going to stop paying people this way five years since.

[TheOstrich]

HMR&C are clamping down on tax avoidance schemes, but they are so varied - and prolific - it's like trying to run through treacle to catch them all. A lot of the problem is that tax legislation is simply too complex; it really needs a complete re-write.

[Suff]

Come on now, the HMRC tax return for small businesses has a section for reporting "approved" tax avoidance schemes.....

These schemes exist because the UK has downsized from large traditional companies to smaller, more flexible, service orientated businesses. This happened in Maggie's time.

Instead of just giving huge subsidies to a smaller number of firms, the Government allows "tax avoidance" to a large number of smaller businesses.

All you are seeing with the BBC employees is abuse (or use), of these schemes to reduce tax to very low levels.

That is why it's legal and why people do it.

[AliasAggers]

Well, that explains it Suff.

Just another reason for me to think that this
thing called democracy is nothing but a farce.

[medsec222]

Pensioners are taxed quick enough if they try to earn a few extra pounds to supplement their pensions.