News George Osborne targets tech in 2015 budget

I think it is a simple matter of distance, geostationary orbits are at an altitude of 22,236 miles.

 

You're right, I am overly defensive today regarding the coalition. I had a late night last night and it hasnt helped to stay balanced in my posting. So - apologies!

I usually have lunch during PMQs most Wednesdays and if I am tired then I struggle to stay cool while listening to the politicians constantly arguing that no matter who does what, it was always the wrong thing to do. That is not government politics, its really annoying party politics - the worst kind of politics.

Anyway, back to the pros and cons to the tech scene delivered in the budget. I still havent been convinced that attempting to properly tax Google etc (finally) is a negative. So what if they leave. Or, so what if they try to continue to avoid/evade (same thing to me) their tax commitment. Is it not better to at least try? Sounds like a good thing to me.

Like a previous poster said, if these businesses left our country because they couldnt dodge paying tax then the void would get filled by a business who will.

 

I looked imto satellite BB when I moved to this rural place. Like you said, the latency is useless for gaming. The speeds are so-so. And the caps are either very low and ok priced, or reasonable caps and very expensive.

I think it is a bit late to be investing in satellite, and I would have thought banging in 4G masts, would have made much more sense. At least with mobile masts comes better telephone signals to rural areas, as well as acceptable gaming latency and the masts are then in place for 5G. It will be interesting to see what happens after the next wave of airwave sell offs.

 

banging in more masts sounds good in theory, but there are alot of people ( tin foil hat brigade ) that hate mobile phone masts and would protest instantly

i do hope this ''Google tax'' does help force some of the larger companies to pay their fair share of tax, it would (hopefully ) mean that the 'ma and pa' stores are in with a fighting chance of competing

although i bet Google's lawyers are already looking for more loopholes to jump through

 

Where my grandmother lives is a relative signal deadzone for that reason... The people bitching that they couldn't get a signal were the same NIMBYs that kicked off when the network wanted to put up a mast...

 

It will be interesting to see what happens when this kicks in. There are many multinationals in Ireland that CBA paying tax and the government CBA chasing after it either. To be seen to create jobs is a larger political priority right now. Whilst starbucks would have an infrastructural investment in the UK, the likes of Google only needs office space and internet, making moving to more tax friendly (for them) locations less painful.

I rely on multinationals for work at the moment, but I also dislike the fact they don't pay [much] tax. Ultimately their tax situation means that that financial burden is passed off to their workers and the general tax payer. Quite a bitter-sweet experience for me frankly.

 

The reason a lot of these MPs have low hour advisory roles in companies is that they can advise on the various tax loopholes that are written into the system. Thats why all this talk of going after the tax avoiding multinationals never actually results in them paying more. The MPs need these loopholes so they can line their pockets on the side. We (the general public) have been requesting these loopholes be closed for many years now and they are only appearing to do anything now because a lot of votes can be bought by SAYING you will do something. Where was this extra tax before?

I can't bring myself to not vote, but this year I shall be spoiling my ballot with 'None of the above'.

 

The problem isn't Google et al avoiding billions in tax, the problem is the fact that tax can be avoided in the first place. And that the rules are literally written for them. There is no political will to fix either of these problems in any of the parties that have a chance of winning a majority in May.

 

I agree with that part of your statement, though I dont believe that the tax system is created specifically for them.

You get suggestions that the higher earner should contribute more, which I'm not against. Though I have issues with it in that

1) London is a beast of its own and when you take a the nation as a whole it nothing averages out well.
2) Upping the top rate of tax, these guys have employed tax consultants to help mitigate their tax payments, so increasing the top rate of tax does nothing other than pay the tax consultant who is going to find a better way to legally mitigate their clients liability.

I also take objection to the Mansion tax as it hits London and other cities much harder. I have worked hard, paid my tax on my earnings and decide to buy something. Then I am begin told oh you have an asset worth X and we want to tax you on that. Especially when I am already paying things like council tax etc.


What we really need is sweeping reforms to the taxation system. Make it simple, transparent, lower the rates and properly penalize evasion (as its simple and transparent avoidance would hopefully disappear). When the top raters realize its that its not going to be worth to employ that tax consultant as they arnt likely to bother to use them.

Disclosure, I work a job, also have a finger in the family business and have some investment property.

 

[citation needed]

Why has no-one asked the obvious questions - why is all this money from the supposedly-bombproof Google Tax Georgie has suggested not going to important things like health and education? Satellite broadband? Please.

Why are we continuing to punish hard workers who actually pay tax whilst giving layabouts and other bludgers (I won't even go into the list) a free ride?

This country and it's politicians wind me up no end.

 

Yea because if it wasn't for those layabouts and other bludgers we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place, right?

It's not going on health and education because if you're well off like Gideon (aka George Osborne) and the like you don't need public services because you can afford to pay for private healthcare and education.