paradise lost
The leaked ‘Paradise Papers’ have shown us that Bono owns a Lithuanian shopping centre even more dreary than most of his songs, that the Queen helped finance the recently punished quasi-loan-shark business, BrightHouse, that multi-millionaire and Union Jack waving-at-every-opportunity Lewis Hamilton swerved any VAT payments on his £16.5m private jet with the finesse of er, an F1 champion and that there really is no good reason to watch the terminally unfunny Mrs Brown’s Boys. From the corporate perspective we know that Nike have done a runner by not technically being based anywhere in the world and that Apple has lost its shine by relocating its affairs to Jersey following the closure of a tax loophole in Ireland. In short, they show the super-rich legally avoiding paying the tax they owe to the country in which they reside and claim to love at every turn.
Yep, importantly, these papers have not highlighted the ‘Jimmy Carr’ tax-evasion that the Panama Papers did a couple of years ago but widespread tax-avoidance instead. They shine a light on an outlook where the rich & wealthy believe it is entirely normal to ignore any moral responsibility for the greater good of society and dodge contributing in the acceptable manner. Taxes are the price we pay for a cohesive, functioning and supportive society. My elderly neighbour took a nasty tumble yesterday and the ambulance arrived thirty minutes later. This is what our taxes facilitate.
If it feels as though there is one rule for the rich and one for the poor then it’s only because there is. We have endured a decade of enforced austerity, caused, as if we need reminding, by the financial elite, yet still the richest amongst us continue to excuse themselves of any social obligation. Furthermore, self-confessed ignorance is no defence and those mentioned above are 100% aware of their actions and those of their advisers, even if it to intentionally remain in the dark concerning the dirty-dealings, in order to later claim innocence.
But we’d all do if we had the chance I hear the Daily Mail cry. Well, no, we wouldn’t. Back in the day, I sold a business that rewarded me handsomely and could’ve utilised various off-shore shenanigans to reduce my tax liability and chose not to. Death and taxes were supposed to be inevitable but for anyone conniving enough, taxes appear an optional extra.
