Its a question of morality

Did you know that over 15 times more is lost to tax avoidance at the top, than is lost to benefit fraud at the bottom. www.uncut.org.uk

This is a very misleading statement, because benefit fraud is illegal, and should be clamped down on and punished, whereas tax avoidance is not illegal, but sound financial management, which should be encouraged, and carried out by anyone with sufficient funds to warrant doing so.

If you wish to change the tax rules, that is utterly fine, and more tax might be collected - or might not. But complaining about people legally minimising their tax bills is a pastime of less well off people consumed more by envy than moral indignation.

I'm presuming you claim all your allowances and expenses Mike - so you/your business pays less tax?

Tough call this one. I see Mike's point but Paul is spot on about benefit fraud being illegal. It does sit a little uncomfortable though that those who are very well off pay someone to basically find a loophole to avoid paying tax they really should be paying. Stefan is right however, as Mike and all of us will do the same with regard to allowances etc and will take advice to keep the tax bill down.

After all that I make Paul right!

I think we all understand the illegality of benefit fraud and I would not condone this . However , is it right and fair in the Big Society where "we are all in this together" that large companies pay huge dividends to non-domed relations so avoiding tax. This sort of thing makes people angry especially when changes in tax laws and benefits have a disproportionate effect on those with lower levels of income. These tax loopholes need to be challenged with changes in the law and HRMC given more resources to oppose tax avoidance measures concocted by extremely clever tax lawyers.

You cannot rationally expect people to voluntarily pay more tax than the law requires. What you can expect, and what I do, is pay what is due legally. However, the law permits many ways to minimise my liability, and I use that fully.

Is that right? Well, successive governments think so, as they have not changed it. Should they do so, that is acceptable. Is it fair? Life is not fair. Ask not for a level playing field, but the fortitude to play uphill.

The large corporation will use all the loopholes it can to pay less tax. Not a problem, it is up to the Government of the day to close those loopholes if they do not agree with them. The difference between the large corp legally paying less tax and someone dodgy doing benefit fraud is that the benefit fraud costs more money to stop and takes more money out of the coffers. The large corp will be employing more people who are in turn paying taxes into the coffers and also paying other firms to work the loopholes thus putting more money into the coffers when they pay taxes etc.

It is not everyones cup of tea but they are doing nothing wrong.

Since when has 'morals' got anything to with 'big business'?
If you're earning that kind of cash then you'll employ the right people to ensure you keep as much of it as you can.