Is Gary trying to be Simon Cowel? If he is he is doing a stinking job of it.
Sorry about the tax jibe, just dislike the man with a passion as a judge and his morals

Weird how it's okay for likes of me, you and Joe Public to bung a few quid in an ISA to avoid paying tax on our money but if someone richer uses an equally legal but more sophisticated instrument to avoid paying tax on their money everyone gets upset??? I also find it astonishing how people are buying into the sanctimonious tripe about "it's youtr duty to pay tax" from this inept government..... isn't there ANOTHER MP in Court today about fiddling £50K of our money..... these corrupt scumbags are the villains - not Barlow.

Oh please stop using the old ISA as a comparative. I have an ISA - but I pay my pittance into it AFTER I've paid my full wack on the job that I do.

Barlow (and fair enough - it isn't just him - some of his bandmates - and I'll bet 95% of celebrities are on the same scheme) is a tax avoider so don't bring in ISA's to the question - they've nothing to do with it. What makes Barlow more despicable is he'll probably be churning out some charity crap soon - and its Joe Public's money thats paying for it not his.

I'd sooner give my money to a beggar on the street (and I actually do) than anything hosted by Barlow and the like.

I know this has been posted before - but it is rather chuckle-worthy and it has a nice picture of Gary in his practice room.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...n_1615026.html

Your reluctance to embrace tax efficiency is shocking - you should be gift aiding to Shelter and not chucking cash at beggars.

A beggar on the street shows more honesty than Gary Barlow does. He's a hypocrite and I don't give my money to hypocrites.

And ... if I were to gift aid to a charity - there are a lot more efficient and at the same time needy charities than Shelter.

The expenses thing is a red herring to cover up the specious nature of your argument. You cannot compare an ISA to the sophisticated tax dodging schemes used by Barlow and his ilk. Or are you just naive?

Has he done anything illegal? Nope

Tax avoidance schemes have been going on for years. Don't blame those for employing good tax accountants.
Until governments crack down on such schemes, then Barlow and his ilk are doing nothing wrong. I would do the same in his position.

Its a good job that you and I and the millions of others on PAYE will never have the opportunity then isn't it?

But you're right - it has always been the way that the majority of low earners end up paying more than the rich.

The political forum is here: http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=99

I agree - the schemes should be closed down and any loopholes firmly tied in knots. I'd rather have this done (and ISA's closed down too if it makes things fairer).

I also agree that Barlow and his ilk are legally doing nothing wrong. However - what is insulting to the intelligence is Barlow's charity work - as if he and others like him 'did the right thing' then there would be no need for hospitals, schools, etc relying on charity to take up the slack that the missing millions from the treasury could be funding.

And I don't blame people finding these legal schemes
Too much tax wasted in this country, it's too much of a political tool as well. Annoys me when people just want higher tax rates to increase. No wonder there are more and more tax avoidance schemes...no rewards for entrepreneurship

Indeed, those billions spent on wars, arms, Olympics, and lets all moan about a few insignificant (in the grand scheme of things) millions from those doing nothing against the law.

Insignificant It could indeed be very significant if all of the loopholes were closed. Regarding what tax money is actually spent on is another matter altogether as if we go down the path you're intimating none of us will pay tax as sometimes tax money goes on things we don't agree with.

I despise the likes of Barlow trying to find a way around paying their fair share whilst devoting time to charitable works and getting royal honours for this. Why not just pay the right amount of tax instead and take a back seat instead of putting all his charitable works in our face.

Wish I could afford to "bung a few quid in an Isa"

i dont think its as easy as that to be honest...there is a lot of cash in hand workers even in the UK ..if most people pay their taxes thats the best we all can hope for ..you can target the rich but they have the ability to avoid within the law

Thankfully there is PAYE to keep us plebs in our place to ensure that the treasury gets at least something.

To be honest - Barlow can do all the tax dodging he likes (he's not the first and he won't be the last). I just wish he'd stop shoving his 'charidee' work down our throats. When he sees a cause he believes in - why not write out a cheque for a million quid - the way Lady GaGa, Kevin Costner and Sandra Bullock have done. He won't of course because at heart he is a tight-fisted git (read his book - there's one bit in particular where he says he nearly had a heart attack when he thought his money may have been lost in an investment or something similar).

I will point out though - that his book was very, very funny.

part in bolded is very true
I am no loved of GB ..but he is not the worst of the worst at least he has tried to give something back even though it advances his own interest.but there are worst out there.. but this is an age old arguement

Of course there are! Starbucks springs to mind.

Speaking of Starbucks! Me and my sister went on that 'anti-austerity' march in London a few weeks back and along the route every Starbucks shop had about six or seven coppers watching out for each shop! As they pay no corporation tax - I fail to see why they should benefit from the services of the police who they pay no part towards. They should have just made them board up and shut for the day!

I still don't understand why people choose to buy coffee from Starbucks when Costa Coffee is far better (and they DO pay their taxes).

gosh never knew that..starbucks coffee is shit anyway imo

Why Costa (who have been known to open without planning permission) when there are plenty of independent coffee shops?

Why coffee at all?
We are a tea drinking nation!

An even better idea! I've never drank in either (nor Cafe Nero or any of those other generic, franchised crap places). When I go shopping in Wigan or Liverpool - I always choose one of those small, independent cafes. I don't drink coffee either but I am fussy about my tea - so I always have a few Tetley, Yorkshire Tea or Co-Op 99 tea-bags on me just to be on the safe side. There's nothing worse than a cafe skimping on cheap tea-bags!

I love the way this thread is turning into 'six degrees of separation'. Within a few hours we'll be discussing the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury or even Kevin Bacon!

Tea is vile. It is mud. Moreover it contributed to the downfall of the British Empire.

Oh I love my tea! It has to be made just right though. At work - if someone offers to make the tea I refuse - as I only like tea made in a certain way - I can't trust anyone else!