[Everything Goes]

Vodafone has managed to pay no Corporation Tax again this year. Its a hard life. Vodafone moaned that Britain has "one of the least-profitable mobile markets anywhere in the world" and added that it had only pulled in a modest profit during the company's 2012/13 financial year.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12...ion_tax_again/

[flagpole]

This comes up every year. If we want then to pay corporation tax them we need to change the law.

The hypocrisy is amazing. We bleat about Starbucks not paying tax in the UK. Saying that they should pay tax here because it's where they make their income. But they want to pay it in the US where they are headquartered.

With Vodafone though they make money abroad but want them to pay tax here because are headquartered here.

How much did they spend on 4G licences?

[finbaar]

you are bothered this then lobby your mp for a change in the law. Or MEP for a change in European law. Companies have an obligation to minimize the amount of tax pay.

[psionic]

Perhaps this should be moved to the politics forum? I wouldn't hold my breath regarding MPs or MEPs doing a damn thing though!

[xreyuk123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flagpole

This comes up every year. If we want then to pay corporation tax them we need to change the law.

The hypocrisy is amazing. We bleat about Starbucks not paying tax in the UK. Saying that they should pay tax here because it's where they make their income. But they want to pay it in the US where they are headquartered.

With Vodafone though they make money abroad but want them to pay tax here because are headquartered here.

How much did they spend on 4G licences?

They spent ~900m on spectrum

[MTUK1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Vodafone has managed to pay no Corporation Tax again this year. Its a hard life. Vodafone moaned that Britain has "one of the least-profitable mobile markets anywhere in the world" and added that it had only pulled in a modest profit during the company's 2012/13 financial year.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12...ion_tax_again/

And??? It's within the rules. Like the posters above say, the law needs to be changed, but they have done nothing wrong under present laws.

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by finbaar

you are bothered this then lobby your mp for a change in the law. Or MEP for a change in European law. Companies have an obligation to minimize the amount of tax pay.

Well it looks like MP Margaret Hodge is on the case again for those defending Vodafone.

"HMRC holds back from using the full range of sanctions at its disposal. It pursues tax owed by the smaller businesses but seems to lose its nerve when it comes to mounting prosecutions against multinational corporations."

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...x-avoiders-mps

[Ashley_Bradbury]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Well it looks like MP Margaret Hodge is on the case again for those defending Vodafone.

"HMRC holds back from using the full range of sanctions at its disposal. It pursues tax owed by the smaller businesses but seems to lose its nerve when it comes to mounting prosecutions against multinational corporations."

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...x-avoiders-mps

pahaha yeah, a true warrior of the people "Margaret Hodge's family company pays just 0.01pc tax on £2.1bn of business generated in the UK"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/b...in-the-UK.html

[qasdfdsaq]

Chances are those multinational corporations have extremely well paid tax accountants whose jobs are to make sure they're not doing anything they could possibly be prosecuted for.

[roadshow2006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashley_Bradbury

pahaha yeah, a true warrior of the people "Margaret Hodge's family company pays just 0.01pc tax on £2.1bn of business generated in the UK"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/b...in-the-UK.html

N.B They later apologised to her claiming "there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy in Ms Hodge criticising other companies for tax avoidance and [we] apologise to her for any contrary impression".

[Ashley_Bradbury]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadshow2006

N.B They later apologised to her claiming "there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy in Ms Hodge criticising other companies for tax avoidance and [we] apologise to her for any contrary impression".

actually the apology had nothing to do with the amount of tax her companies pays.


"And here is Hodge’s humiliating exchange on SkyNews yesterday:

MH: I’m not, I’m not, I told you, I’m not, I haven’t, you know I don’t have any dealings with the company day to day.

KB: But you did say that you were confident that every penny that should be paid in tax has been paid in tax. You’ve obviously looked into it?

MH: Yes, I’m confident.

KB: And 0.01% is enough?

MH: No it isn’t 0.01, it’s what they pay, what they pay, the profits they make on the business they transact in the UK.

KB: And how much is that as a percentage of tax?

MH: I, I, I mean I can’t give you that answer.

KB: But you did say that every penny has been paid in tax so presumably you have the figures?

MH: Sorry?

KB: You did say that every penny they should pay in tax has been paid…

MH: I, I also said to you I don’t work for that business. I’m a shareholder. I think you should ask the company if you have any questions.

[clonmult]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTUK1

And??? It's within the rules. Like the posters above say, the law needs to be changed, but they have done nothing wrong under present laws.

Yup; many may complain, but what Vodafone are doing is legal, or they would be prosecuted.

[niceguy1966]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashley_Bradbury

pahaha yeah, a true warrior of the people "Margaret Hodge's family company pays just 0.01pc tax on £2.1bn of business generated in the UK"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/b...in-the-UK.html

From the Telegraph article you linked to:

Quote:

However. it is not known whether the company – which made profits of £65m – used similar controversial tax avoidance measures criticised in the past by Mrs Hodge.

Profits are taxed not revenue. So the headline percentage is meaningless.

For me there is only a problem if Mrs. Hodge's company took active steps to move profits to low taxation countries (Which is what she has criticised companies like Starbucks, Amazon, Google and Vodafone for doing). It isn't illegal, but she would be a hypocrite.

[john176bramley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTUK1

And??? It's within the rules. Like the posters above say, the law needs to be changed, but they have done nothing wrong under present laws.

If a tax loophole was discovered that allowed the average person to legally only pay 1% tax how long do you think it would take for the government to change the law?

[finbaar]

We all have the power of the vote if it bothers us that much,

[SkipTracer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by finbaar

We all have the power of the vote if it bothers us that much,

Yes we can after all we have Hobson’s choice.

[flagpole]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john176bramley

If a tax loophole was discovered that allowed the average person to legally only pay 1% tax how long do you think it would take for the government to change the law?

it depends what you mean by tax loophole.

millions of people pay no tax at all by earning less than £10k.

vodafone pay no tax also by not making much profit in the UK and what they do they reinvest in expensive things like 4G licences.

[Steven L Hunter]

I'd rather the money went into funding a better network than the greedy tax man the government get enough tax

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven L Hunter

I'd rather the money went into funding a better network than the greedy tax man the government get enough tax

Well you do have to wonder why Vodafone is still so crap after all the effort they put into avoiding tax

[qasdfdsaq]

They're crap because they have a lot of business customers who resell/redistribute their service through so many levels of indirection that nobody knows who to complain to anymore.

Take the crappy wifi on Stagecoach/Lothian busses. All Vodafone's fault but hardly anyone knows.

[sethpet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Vodafone has managed to pay no Corporation Tax again this year. Its a hard life. Vodafone moaned that Britain has "one of the least-profitable mobile markets anywhere in the world" and added that it had only pulled in a modest profit during the company's 2012/13 financial year.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12...ion_tax_again/

And just how many billions has your beloved EE paid in corporation tax?

"Everything Everywhere (EE), Britain's largest network with 26 million customers, has in effect never paid corporation tax, despite generating £19bn in revenues since it was created through the merger of T-Mobile and Orange three years ago. Its corporation tax bill was £1m in 2012, but that was offset against £90m in tax credits from HMRC for the previous two years.

The company has been able to claim money back from the taxman despite passing £3.25bn in dividends and fees to its parents, Deutsche Telekom and Orange (previously France Télécom), during its lifetime. This is more than the annual NHS spend on maternity wards, or on accident and emergency services, in England.
"

Every company in the land uses investment and interest to reduce their tax bill. Whether that be a multinational or self employed person.

in fact anyone paying into a pension is avoiding paying tax on the earnings they place into a pension.

adherence to tax laws is not wrong and the laws are designed so that companies invest in infrastructure and employment

[sethpet]

http://www.theguardian.com/business/...-tax-avoidance


Reading that article it looks like forum favourites Three have managed to create the most complicated tax avoidance scheme by making sure their decade of losses are in fact loans to itself thus meaning big write downs when it does make profits to avoid paying any corporation tax for years to come.

[Tassium]

Todays corporation is the modern day equivalent of Royalty.

We, the peasant class, should be glad they even let us live.