Should Politicians Be Compelled To Reveal All Their Tax Affairs?

[sp1814]

If tax avoidance schemes are legal (although, perhaps not moral), should politicians be forced to reveal which funds they have invested in?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-offshore-fund-pm-accused-of-eroding-trust-as-calls-mount-for-tax-return-publication-a6974611.html

[tonyav]

Oh dear !

But while Europe may have hurt the PM more than tax so far, the poll also revealed that 68 per cent of voters distrust Mr Cameron to deal with tax avoidance.


http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/jeremy-corbyn-more-popular-than-david-cameron-for-first-time-new-poll-reveals/ar-BBrwtEr?li=BBoPRmx

[youngmafbog]

I'm surprised that figure is not higher.

The man is a total and utter spanner. It appears he had no need to hide anything so all he has achieved by not answering questions is to breed mistrust - for no reason.

Should politicians be compelled to reveal their Tax affairs, yes to a parliamentary body but no to the public.

[Prudie]

No to the question. It's only because it's Cameron so the haters will scratch at anything but tax avoidance, although an unfortunate turn of phrase, is completely legal. I don't see this as any different to 'us' putting our money in ISAs or giving advice to some poor but hardworking self-employed ABer on getting tax relief on tool buying or work clothes laundering etc etc.

[woofgang]

I think that either everyone should or nobody. Its unreasonable to have one rule for one set of the public.

[porkchop]

Of course they should. When us plebs go to the Post Office to put in the odd fiver we are asked date of birth, what country our granny was born in and what we had for breakfast that morning. It gets even worse when trying to sign on for the Dole, they ask you how much you earned for the job you had ten years previously.
But if you were educated in Eton or Cambridge the story is completely different. Your old school pal who has become a financial adviser will contact your other school pal who is a banker and then in turn the banker will contact another old school pal who will shift your joint account with your wife to some off shore island where the tax man can't touch it!

[ummmm]

Did anyone watch the interview with the tax lawyer? He hasn't done anything wrong.

[porkchop]

I wonder was his tax lawyer another of his old school pals! Of course he did nothing wrong. It is the whole principal of the rich having access to various tax loopholes that the ordinary tax payer just cannot avail off. Cameron was quoted recently about a comedian's effort to legally avoid paying tax saying it was moral question. We are all up for the moral question, but the thin that annoys people is the holier than thou attitude. Everything is all rosy in the garden, that is until you are found out.

[tonyav]

Looks like Dave and Jez are both going to publish their tax returns.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/david-cameron-blame-me-for-mishandling-panama-papers-news/ar-BBrynVW?li=BBoPWjQ

[Peter Pedant]

yes to the questiion

it is commonplace to have to own up to your financial investments if you are in a place where you handle an organisations money

and it is a question of trust and confidence ( english sense not legal sense )