Sometimes you read something on a blog which resonates exactly with your own thoughts...
David Cameron told to stop moralising to multinationals over tax.
Indeed. It is becoming an increasing irritation to see politicians of all stripes trying to make tax a moral issue. Tax is a legal matter, not a moral one. We are obliged to pay tax because the law says we must. Nothing more, nothing less. Avoiding tax is something we all do to a greater or lesser extent – and, indeed, some taxes are supposed to be designed for just that purpose in order to mould our behaviour. If you are self-employed you will be arranging your affairs to minimise that bill come the end of January. If you don’t, you are a fool. After all, the money you hand over to the great and glorious hmrc will mostly be wasted, so the more of it that remains in your bank account, the more of it will be spent wisely – one hopes. Certainly, I am very aggressive when managing my affairs and will spend as much as I can on business related items that will reduce the amount I hand over. This is not immoral. It is perfectly legal and is, as far as I am concerned, a sacred duty. It is my money, not the state’s. I have gone out to work to earn it, the state merely takes it with the threat of violence should I not comply – this is the behaviour of the highwayman. I am not the one with a moral compass deficiency here.
Certainly I will not take any lectures on morality from a bunch of vacuous career politicians who have never done a real days work in their lives and have never had to suffer the consequences of their ill-conceived and spiteful policies and binge legislation. Given that, I will minimise the amount of money they extort from me to harass and hector me on my lifestyle, to piss up the wall on various fake charities, sock puppets and quangos, all of whom are hand in pocket with these shysters and charlatans.
Also, bear in mind that some of the most outspoken moralisers – particularly those on the self-professed left or “progressive” wing of the debate are, themselves, tax avoiders (yes, you, Ms Hodge). Tax avoidance is good, it is wise and thoughtful accounting, it is legal – it is not tax evasion, which is not. So, frankly, I’m right behind the CBI – shut the fuck up, Cameron. Tax is not a moral issue, it is an evil thrust upon us by a bunch of thieves, criminals, charlatans and popinjays who spend a significant proportion of it on stuff we neither need not want. Therefore, the less they get, the better.
I soooo with I could have written that!
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