Quote:
Originally Posted by ascarracinguk
Thus the difference between avoidance and evasion. Avoidance, using tax laws I. Your favour to avoid paying tax. Evasion, breaking tax laws and try to hide the fact you haven’t paid tax
Lewis is borderline with his plane. Perfectly ok for business use, he has a right to claim the VAT back...the personal use bit maybe not so much, but I’m sure his tax lawyers are far better at answering that question. The fact he nor his company have tried to hide anything from the HMRC leads me to think it’s completely legal avoidance strategy or he has been badly advised that it was ok
|
Or maybe he and his advisers were/are pushing the envelope. The fact that he and countless others are arranging their tax affairs in full view of their tax authorities doesn't mean that they are actually complying with tax rules and law. The problem is that too many authorities have a fairly lax attitude to these sort of arrangements, and most of those wishing to abuse the system know that the worst that will happen is that they will get a slap on the wrist and have to pay the tax that has been evaded, and possibly a fine that no-where represents a fair punishment. Very few tax evaders, the worst of whom are mostly corporate, ever see the inside of prison.