Jimmy Carr legal tax avoidance story, what you view folks?

[LochNessMonster]

I say good luck to the bloke, if its good for MP'S, MEP'S , Bankers, MOD Sportsmen/women and good old Ken Dodd its fine by me.

Only wish I had the brains to figure the system out.

Thought it a bit of a cheek what the PM said after the amount of pigs that got their heads stuck in the troff with their second homes.

Nessie :)

[NOX]

I think for the prime minister of a country to pick on one individual member of that country who has committed no offence and comment upon them in the press, is a serious error of judgement on his part- and I imagine that Jimmy Carr has the money and the nause to find something to sue him for and I hope he succeeds.

[emmie]

i don't feel sorry for him at all, if we all did this who would pay for NHS, and all the services that we do have. We could end up being like Greece. No one likes paying tax, and if it's punitive then some will do their level best to avoid it. But it's cheating, if people like him take out of the system, but put little into it, how is that fair. Same as someone who arrives on British shores and gets immediate handouts.

[commoner]

If there are holes in a bucket then you mend it (dear liza)..so if there are holes in the tax system then it's up to the relevant people to mend 'em....To be fair to all taxpayers there shouldn't be "legal loopholes"

[emmie]

he has also criticised others for doing it, so a hypocrite to boot.

[missnemesis]

DC has taken hypocrisy to a whole new level.

As a so called 'comedian' I can't stand JC but I do think it's that he is being unfairly used as a high profile scapegoat in this, yet another, scandal.

No doubt that there are many more celebs etc doing the same thing so why pick on him? I take it DC doen't find him funny either :-/

[Hopkirk]

This scam is done using massive 'loans' that the person has no intention of repaying. This should be declared as fraud, and taxed retrospectively.

Em10 is right, this is the sort of thing that has contributed to Greece's problems.

[emmie]

lots more, they will get their moment in the spotlight soon enough. All the members of Take That, and thousands more just like them. If we criticise those people who do it big time, companies like Amazon and Google, then we should also do it to those individuals who like Carr don't give a toss.

[missnemesis]

To be fair to all taxpayers there shouldn't be "legal loopholes"

Totally agree commoner, trouble is that tax laws and the loopholes therein are made by the very people who will/do abuse the system. That's why they're there.

[emmie]

Let's hope that someday soon the big businesses that do this get hauled over the coals. It isn't fair, these companies make huge amounts of money, yet pay a pittance in tax, not right at all.

[emmie]

mind you if Francois Hollande idea that French folk who earn over 800 grand will pay 75 percent tax comes to fruition, can see many of those people swimming across the channel to deposit their money here, or perhaps in tax free havens like Jersey.

[888sally888]

We should all pay tax fairly - lets name and shame ALL of the people who do this.

[emmie]

how would one propose to do that ?

[joggerjayne]

Doesn't everyone do it, on some scale or other?

Are there any of us who are self employed who haven't sometimes "put something through the business"? ... or asked for a VAT receipt because "I'll try to get the VAT back"?

[emmie]

you could be leaving yourself open to all sorts of legal problems.

[LochNessMonster]

Good to see my comments are getting us all replying, Thanks !

[sandyRoe]

People like him depend on the goodwill of their audiences. The money that people pay to see his shows will have been taxed. He'll be the one laughing at the mugs who pay their fair share while he's found a loophole.
He should remember Michael Barrymore who lost the affection of his audiences and who's career is now as dead as a dodo.

[joggerjayne]

Michael Barrymore somehow allowed a young chap to die in his swimming pool.

That's a bit different from saving a bit of tax.

[emmie]

I confess that i don't like Mr Carr, i have never have found his style of humour to my liking. Having said that he will get a kicking for a time, sure it will be water off a ducks back. Others who transgress have seen their careers go down the swanny, as been said Michael Barrymore, and to some extent Angus Deaton.

[Sqad]

JJ I agree.

em...."tax free havens" do not exist any more.........there are now tight restrictions.

[emmie]

it is different of course, but no one likes someone who actively cheats, it's not cricket don't yer know