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Difflock Royalty
Joined: 19 Jun 2002
Odometer: 40007
Location: Northern Ireland's Gold Coast
2009 Land Rover 110 CSW
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 Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 9:35 am Post subject: Facebook
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To all you Facebook users, shame on you!
| Quote: | Facebook paid no corporation tax in the UK last year despite generating an estimated £223m in revenues.
The social media giant's decision to process its UK sales in the Republic (of Ireland), which avoids tax, will reignite the controversy about how US tech giants are not contributing their fair share to the UK economy.
Accounts filed to Companies House show Facebook UK made a pre-tax loss of £2.4m on turnover of £34.6m. However, eMarketer, an independent analyst firm that specialises in tracking digital spend, estimates Facebook generated £223m last year from advertising in the UK.
Facebook, led by Mark Zuckerberg, will have booked most of those sales in Ireland despite many advertisers being based in Britain, a controversial technique that is legal under HM Revenue & Customs' tax law.
According to previous filings to Companies House, Facebook UK has paid just £1m in corporation tax since opening a London office in 2007, even though it is estimated to have made over £500m in sales in that time.
There is no doubt Facebook, the world's biggest social media site, is profitable and continues to grow, with over one billion users and 24 million daily users in Britain. Facebook's US stock market value has soared this year to $123bn (£77bn) despite newer rivals such as Twitter emerging.
Commons Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge said: "This is yet another example of what appears to be deliberate manipulation of accounts to deprive the British taxpayer of a rightful tax contribution, according to the profits they make in the UK. I am getting fed up of this constant stream of stories and little sign of a challenge from HMRC and a strange silence from Government."
A Facebook spokesman said: "Facebook pays all taxes required by UK law and we comply with tax laws in all countries where we operate and have employees and offices. We take our tax obligations seriously, and work closely with national tax authorities around the world to ensure compliance with local law."
The tax debate has intensified recently with executives from Google, Amazon and Starbucks being grilled by Hodge's committee, which urged the Government and HMRC to reform tax law. |
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Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
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Wilbert Robinson
Articulating
Joined: 11 Jul 2008
Odometer: 685
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 11:54 am Post subject:
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Why don't HMRC ask the government to close this tax loophole then these big foreign companies will have to pay their share of tax. 
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Foreplay does not require a four wheel drive
Get your mind out of the gutter................it's blocking my view |
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dxmedia
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 10 Dec 2008
Odometer: 2185
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:20 pm Post subject:
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| Don't blame the companies for HMRC'**** ups.
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rob546454
Just got MTs
Joined: 17 Jan 2013
Odometer: 232
Location: Bradford
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:44 pm Post subject:
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Exactly. If there is free parking available you are not going to go to a pay and display are you.
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ed
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 04 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:52 pm Post subject:
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HMRC pay is pretty crap compared with private sector - therefore all the really **** hot tax bods work for big business on how to "avoid" paying tax rather than the government on closing loops holes / catching tax dodgers.
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So let's not talk of love and flowers
And things that don't explode |
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DD
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
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Location: Aberdeenshire
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:26 pm Post subject:
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You honestly think HMRC doesn't outsource to EY, PWC etc?
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Disco 'DD' Don
90 v8 for fun
110 XS CSW daily drive
'I came, I saw, I locked the diff' |
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DD
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Odometer: 9761
Location: Aberdeenshire
1986 Land Rover Defender
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:32 pm Post subject:
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Ian, you seem to dislike facebook. I thought it would be right up your street.......loads of people accessible in 1 place who talk a load of balls....sounds familiar 
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Disco 'DD' Don
90 v8 for fun
110 XS CSW daily drive
'I came, I saw, I locked the diff' |
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ed
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 04 Aug 2003
Odometer: 4312
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:48 pm Post subject:
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Bulk of their stuff is done in house. Certainly s lot of criminal work is
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So let's not talk of love and flowers
And things that don't explode |
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cynic-al
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 14 Nov 2006
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Location: scunthorpe
1989 Suzuki SJ
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 3:58 pm Post subject:
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Hmrc used to be pretty hot but now, as with solicitors, technical help etc etc is just manned by computer operators who read the question on the screen and pick the answer from a list, if the answers not on the list they're stumped. Most of the routine work is now done by employers or individuals with very little checks.
This however is a policy decision from higher up, it may be out of their hands to a certain extent due to government or European will but given time will get what they can.
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I know enough to be dangerous. |
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Xpajun
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Odometer: 3245
1988 Mitsubishi Shogun
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Facebook
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| Quote: | Commons Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge said: "This is yet another example of what appears to be deliberate manipulation of accounts to deprive the British taxpayer of a rightful tax contribution, according to the profits they make in the UK. I am getting fed up of this constant stream of stories and little sign of a challenge from HMRC and a strange silence from Government."
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Woah..... I don't think I, or my fellow tax payers, would see one penny of any tax paid by the likes of Facebook et.al.
And Ian - It's not the Facebook users that should be shamed but the idiots that advertise - I say idiots because 75% of facebookers use adbloc, 20% ignore the adverts anyway and although 5% may read them only 1% may buy.
Kind of like those bus stop ads - "Advertising works - you're reading this" to which I always reply "yes maybe - but I'm not buying" 
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Difflock Royalty
Joined: 19 Jun 2002
Odometer: 40007
Location: Northern Ireland's Gold Coast
2009 Land Rover 110 CSW
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:30 am Post subject: Re: Facebook
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| Xpajun wrote: |
Kind of like those bus stop ads - "Advertising works - you're reading this" to which I always reply "yes maybe - but I'm not buying" |
Good point, I don't remember ever buying a bus stop
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Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - yes that's right, I have a Zook! |
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DD
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Odometer: 9761
Location: Aberdeenshire
1986 Land Rover Defender
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:27 am Post subject:
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Disco 'DD' Don
90 v8 for fun
110 XS CSW daily drive
'I came, I saw, I locked the diff' |
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Difflock Royalty
Joined: 19 Jun 2002
Odometer: 40007
Location: Northern Ireland's Gold Coast
2009 Land Rover 110 CSW
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:49 am Post subject:
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OK. I admit I don't do Facebook although not for any moral objection to the fact that they don't pay tax.
However I thought I would post the above to see the reaction which is interesting. No-one really seems fussed that morally Facebook owe us, the British Public, £45000000 a year. How many nurses would that pay for?
Whilst I agree there is is blame with HMRC, and as a small business owner I could start a whole new thread on they way they operate, that is not the real point here. Or is it? Samll business gets hounded by HMRC whilst big business gets away scot free.
We are all more than happy to use Facebook and generate profits for them despite the fact that they don't give anything back and pay their way IMO.
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Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - yes that's right, I have a Zook!
Last edited by . on Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:47 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DD
Mud Obsessed
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Odometer: 9761
Location: Aberdeenshire
1986 Land Rover Defender
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:35 am Post subject:
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I'm away to starbucks to sit down and have a think about this....
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Disco 'DD' Don
90 v8 for fun
110 XS CSW daily drive
'I came, I saw, I locked the diff' |
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Difflock Royalty
Joined: 19 Jun 2002
Odometer: 40007
Location: Northern Ireland's Gold Coast
2009 Land Rover 110 CSW
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:48 am Post subject:
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Give me a call on your Vodafone mobile while you're there.........
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Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - yes that's right, I have a Zook! |
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Mims
Off-Road Guru
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Odometer: 1507
Location: West Yorkshire
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 12:57 pm Post subject:
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| I remember finding really funny when this all first came to light that people were using Facebook as a platform to moan about Starbucks not paying tax (which they subsequently have done)...and probably typing it all on their Apple computers while listening to music purchased from Amazon! I love irony!
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Difflock Royalty
Joined: 19 Jun 2002
Odometer: 40007
Location: Northern Ireland's Gold Coast
2009 Land Rover 110 CSW
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:12 pm Post subject:
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I hate it, but it's not really necessary if you fold the clothes as soon as the tumble drier has finished
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Bert the Defender 110 XS - because it's Cool (work it out yourself!)
Lolita the Lightweight
???? the V8 90 CSW
Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom - yes that's right, I have a Zook! |
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gadgetboy
Off-Road Guru
Joined: 03 Sep 2005
Odometer: 1947
Location: Belfast, N. Ireland
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:58 pm Post subject:
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No company has a moral obligation to pay tax. If the tax laws are lacking the it's not a companies' reposibility to pay up just because they're nice. If anyone has a moral obligation it's the MPs that take huge campaign contributions from these companies to maintain the loopholes. Let me put it this way, if Peter and Martin get their way here and get corporation tax reduced will you pay the difference on moral grounds?
So the loophole is closed. Who loses out? You do. Share prices will drop and suddenly your pension will be worth less than it was. Good move there.
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Move along. Nothing to see here. |
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