Tax Evasion.

[Aggers]

I see that the Government are at last doing something about tax evasion.
About time too. I wrote to the Chancellor's office some time ago suggesting
that the matter could be swiftly dealt with be introducing a Bill that would be
the shortest on the Statute Books, namely - "From henceforth Tax Avoidance
will be treated as Tax Evasion".

This would produce a far bigger yield, and frankly I don't see the difference.

Oxford English Dictionary....
Avoidance - to prevent from happening.
Evasion - the action of avoiding something.

But I expect such a measure would hit too many cronies.

[TheOstrich]

As someone recently retired from the "profession", Aggers, all I can say is that the Government and the Inland Revenue have made pronouncements at regular intervals for at least the last 20 years about cracking down on tax evasion , and I'm still waiting for it to happen.

Two reasons - increasing lack of resources at the Inland Revenue and an increasingly and ludicrously complex tax regime.

Just my 2 cents worth .....

[Workingman]

Bill Dodwell, head of tax at Deloitte, told the Times newspaper the plans were "horrifying".

"People should not be put in prison unless you can prove intent," he said.

"I'm shocked to find that an offence which could lead to a prison sentence could be decided on a strict-liability basis.

"If this change applies to all evasion cases I think that's unacceptable."

The man must be mad! The act of asking if it (evasion/avoidance) is possible is a sure sign of intent - it wasn't the money asking. By and large prison sentences are only handed out when there is a strict liability for committing an offence - a person is found guilty. And the law usually does apply to all similar offences, the nuances of which are then decided in court - speeding is speeding, murder is murder, theft is theft.

[Aggers]

That is an obvious reaction from Bill Dodwell,

for if this law came into being he would lose all his wealthy customers.

Maybe there should be a penalty for those who advise clients how to cheat.

[Workingman]

Maybe there should be a penalty for those who advise clients how to cheat.

We could call it "Aiding and Abetting" and make the punishment the same as for the actual tax evasion.

[Aggers]

We could call it "Aiding and Abetting" and make the punishment the same as for the actual tax evasion.

Well. that's what it is, surely?