Why David Cameron is no better than Jimmy Carr when it comes to tax avoidance

By Dark Politricks

This week David Cameron ripped shreds out of one of the UK's premier comedians, Jimmy Carr.

He did so for his use of a tax avoidance scheme in which in a convoluted and obviously offshore manner, Jimmy Carr's wages were given back to him as a "loan" that supposedly could be called in for repayment at anytime and therefore he ended up paying 1% tax on his multi million pound salary.

Now I don't like tax avoidance schemes but they are currently legal and Jimmy took it on the chin when he appeared on 8 out of 10 cats and he admitted being in the wrong, took the heckling on the chin, closed the scheme down instantly and apologised like a man.

If only some of our politicians could act so swiftly and graciously when caught with their trousers down or in an expenses scandal.

I like Jimmy Carr, I have seen him live at the Hammersmith Apollo as well as owning some of his DVD's. This means that my money spent on tickets and films has gone through this offshore scheme without tax being paid to the UK exchequer. It is wrong.

However what is even worse is the fact that David Cameron could close these tax avoidance schemes down in a minute if he really wanted to and the only reason he doesn't it that it would affect many of his rich Tory donors and fund raisers.

For a millionaire PM, sitting on a millionaires front bench, many of which who are linked to companies who engage in legal tax avoidance schemes is a bit rich.

When companies like Vodafone can get away without paying any UK tax at all and the reduction in corporation tax has seen a huge transfer of wealth as those with means choose to take their wages in other means that are taxed far less than income tax.

We still haven't dug ourselves out the hole that we were left in by Labour and the global downfall started in the US, spread to Europe and now hitting average earners in the pocket right now.

I have lost count recently of the number of petrol stations that have been shut for no apparent reason (just saw a big one a minute ago) and cash machines that don't have money in them (saw two this weekend) and for some reason I feel like something bad is just around the corner - maybe an unscheduled bank holiday?

Whilst tax avoidance schemes are currently legal they don't have to be and in these times of austerity we should be doing all of the following:

• Simplifying the tax code so lawyers have less room for manoeuvre in bypassing loopholes.
• Making sure any large company who wants to sell their good in one of the largest markets in the world has to set up a UK company in which all goods sold are taxed and given to the UK exchequer.
• Closing loopholes with a general law that states that any scheme designed to minimise the amount of tax paid by a company over a certain percentage is deemed as illegal tax evasion.

There is no difference in my mind between benefit cheats and tax avoiding millionaire Tory funders and big corporations. It's just that our mainly right wing UK press like to target the poor for some reason.

Jimmy took it on the chin and I will continue to find him funny but what I don't find funny is the hypocritical nature of people who attack greedy tax avoiders and then engage in the same acts themselves.