I find myself in a bit of a dilemma.
Did you hear the news that certain large retailing chains are using “legal’ and sophisticated accounting routes around paying what could be deemed as their fair share of tax in this country. The likes of Starbucks and Amazon spring to mind.
I have listened to couple of arguments on this and the pro-tax dodge folk seem to say something along the lines of ‘it is legal, its the governments fault for allowing the loop holes to exist’
hmmm… so they are not breaking the law, no they are working inside the law but does that make it okay?
Its like when kids try and walk UP the slide. It might be the quickest route to the top but the fair and proper route is the steps. I guess the folk that have made Starbucks and Amazon the mega retailers have not done it by going up the steps. 😉
My dilemma now is whether or not i give any of my TAXED income to their tills. In the case of Starbucks it wont be hard to resist. Im not a big coffee shop type person…well unless i am ‘sans enfants’..which is um….never. Also, incredibly, where i live there isnt a Starbucks on every. single. street. Costa sort of rules the roost over this way..i wonder if they pay their taxes? 🙂
But Amazon? That is going to be harder. Its just so easy and their delivery options are generally pretty reliable…yadda yadda..BUT I sort of feel like if a company is going to be part of  a society then they should contribute to that society.
Just sort of makes sense to me.
Anybody else?
Do you know, I feel the same way. When it was Starbucks, no big deal as I hate their coffee anyway. But when Amazon and google came on the scene, suddenly I was confronted with a moral dilemma and had to eat my words a bit…Amazing how when money comes it to it, principles can change….reminds me of Indecent Proposal. A bit.
To be honest I will continue to shop as I do now.
I have to ask the question if there were legal loopholes for us ordinary individuals would we use them or would we say ‘I want to pay taxes’
I think it comes down to a different between tax avoidance, and tax evasion. One is illegal, and the other may seem immoral but in the end, if the option is there to pay less tax then I can’t really fault companies for taking up the option – I probably would too in their position. I think I’d be more inclined to lobby the Government for change than avoid spending money with the companies taking advantage of what the Government has legally allowed them to do…
I’m having this similar dilemma too, although there are LOADS of companies which have been doing this for years and for some reason never exposed. Vodaphone and Boots are big culprits too. It’s so tricky isn’t it, especially with Amazon. I think for me I feel more passionate about how they exploit the vulnerable in their international dealings than their tax dodging. I wish our government would sort out the tax loopholes, and that that everything was ethical, all happy happy and, well while we’re at it free!
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and that is why you should be PM 🙂