This week, a letter about the stink surrounding some big business tax affairs, allegations of the deals done with HMRC and cuts to some of most vulnerable children in society. Hats off to UK Uncut and Private Eye, who doggedly pursued the HMRC to produce the truth. I shall be nominating them for a Big Society Award, but more of that another time...
" Dear Dave,
Christmas or not, the pressure just doesn't stop does it? You must have seen the news on Tuesday? Full of the Public Accounts Committee report and suggestions of sweetheart deals between HMRC and big businesses. I was shocked to read that HMRC is currently seeking to resolve more than 2,700 issues with the biggest companies. And could you explain to me in these times of austerity (when we are all in this together) that Goldman Sachs should be let off £20 million in tax? I already knew about Vodafone settling their tax bill dispute by paying £1.25 billion when they allegedly should have paid £6 billion(!).
Actually I took part in protests, but I am genuinely surprised at how much money seems to have gone uncollected. Thank goodness for whistleblowers, UK Uncut, Private Eye and transparency, eh? It will be interesting to see what happens following UK Uncut issuing legal proceedings against HMRC today,
requesting disclosure of all internal documents relating to the Goldman Sachs deal. Now for that, I'd personally nominate UK Uncut for one of your Big Society Awards!
Do you agree that if ordinary people have to pay tax, so should big corporations and their owners? I know that your official spokesman has reported you are confident that all taxpayers are treated evenhandedly, but not everyone agrees especially when sweetheart deals with big businesses are denied to hardworking families, shopkeepers and small families. It's starting to look like the poor are being bullied into work (Workfare), while the rich are let off tax and bribed into staying in the UK through lowering Corporation Tax. Am I the only one thinking about what a difference uncollected taxes could make to austerity cuts and reforms you say are unavoidable? Take Universal Credit - once introduced, about 100,000 disabled children will be roughly £1,400 a year (£20,000 in a childhood) through 'reforms' to their allowances. Quite callous, that all but the most profoundly disabled children will get 1/2 the support they do now. IF only there was some money that could be found...
Yours, etc"
Many thanks to Rich at http://www.creativepopupcards.com/ for the heart template.
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