What kills me, makes others stronger..
Conversation at Ye Olde Tax Tavern turned to tax, the tax system and how society embraces it. It went like this:
Governments use tax as an essential tool to organise the economy to achieve their desired outcomes. Compliance is the norm, but laws exist to punish those who do not comply
It’s the consent of the people to the process of taxation that enables the tax system to function. Tax is fair if it reflects the capacity of the person to pay it
Entrepreneurship is a risky and heroic activity, necessary for growth, and the survival of the economy
In the Britain we grew up in, people with grit or status took risks. Heroes were responsible for their actions, and reaped the rewards. Others benefited, directly and indirectly. Whole communities were created and forged
Now the heroes are mostly gone, replaced by politicians and academics, who make decisions based on abstract and theoretical matters, and who wield great power, with neither accountability, nor downside
Lobbyists manipulate democracy for the benefit of large corporations. In reality, the rich and the powerful game the system, while the citizens pay the price
Modernity has replaced ethics with legalese, and tax rules can be gamed with a good lawyer
Commentators focus on fine-tuning the existing tax system. They develop models and theories that cannot possibly achieve real outcomes for they, perhaps deliberately, miss the real point – the UK tax system is broken, and no longer fit for purpose
Poachers turn gamekeepers, focus on headline grabbing wins, play to the tax authority’s narrative, perhaps recognising that the road to knighthood is paved with conformity
The solution? Alas, there is none that can please everyone, and tinkering with a broken system is not the answer
We’d like to hear your views! If you’d like a conversation, book some time we me here.
Toodle pip
