Fleetwood Mac

[Wallace]

2 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

Not everyone is a self-serving c**t. 

I would make no attempt to avoid tax, exactly as I make no attempts to avoid tax with how I run my current business (and it's pretty easy to reduce the tax i'd pay if I wanted to - could cut my 'income tax' bill in half, at least).

I reckon a take-home pay of £6m for a year's work is enough to live on. Don't you? So why would tax need to be avoided?

So by that regard, you're saying you'd prefer to open a normal (taxable) savings account rather than putting money in an ISA, seeing as that is effectively tax avoidance.  What about pensions and other schemes that are set up in certain ways to enable people to avoid certain taxes?  You talk very specifically about PAYE income tax, however not everyone has to go down that route as you well know.

I agree people take it to extremes and the line can get blurred at times, especially when it comes to ethics, but not everyone who decides not to pay full income tax can be described as a 'self serving c**t'.

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

 

try this one, from today's papers....

Sounds a lot doesn't it? Yet it seems unlikely that poor old Ed only took home around £6m last year, which would be the case if he was paying 45% tax to create a £5.3M tax bill.

Looks like some fiddling is going on to me - but ed is welcome to put me right, if he wants to.

29m according to this from a couple of weeks ago, so presumably he's paying as some sort of company.

Clearly he's not off shoring like many of his political, sports or entertainment peers so he's more ethical than many who are minted.

https://inews.co.uk/news/ed-sheeran-paid-more-tax-starbucks-amazon/ 

[henry bear]

20 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

I reckon a take-home pay of £6m for a year's work is enough to live on. Don't you? So why would tax need to be avoided?

Didn’t realise running eFestivals would be so lucrative. All those Gold Memberships....

[Quark]

Just now, henry bear said:

Didn’t realise running eFestivals would be so lucrative. All those Gold Memberships....

Why do you think it's called gold membership? Pays for Neil's gold toilets...

[eFestivals]

15 minutes ago, WallaceHigh said:

you're saying you'd prefer to open a normal (taxable) savings account rather than putting money in an ISA

it's not a dilemma I've ever had to face. Perhaps there's a reason why? 

 

[eFestivals]

16 minutes ago, WallaceHigh said:

What about pensions and other schemes that are set up in certain ways to enable people to avoid certain taxes?

it's not a dilemma I've ever had to face. Perhaps there's a reason why? 

[Quark]

16 minutes ago, WallaceHigh said:

So by that regard, you're saying you'd prefer to open a normal (taxable) savings account rather than putting money in an ISA, seeing as that is effectively tax avoidance.  What about pensions and other schemes that are set up in certain ways to enable people to avoid certain taxes?  You talk very specifically about PAYE income tax, however not everyone has to go down that route as you well know.

I agree people take it to extremes and the line can get blurred at times, especially when it comes to ethics, but not everyone who decides not to pay full income tax can be described as a 'self serving c**t'.

OK, so first up yes the line is blurry. We'll get that bit agreed first

The difference is between using a state-promoted and endorsed saving method with limits on how much can be pumped into it, and artificially structuring a business or finances using various offshore systems and other shenanigans to stretch that beyond piss-taking levels. That's where the line is.

Naturally a government COULD take much stronger measures to guard against such behaviours.  But the UK is pretty much open for business on that front. And it serves them much better to offer up the occasional fall guy like Jimmy Carr or Gary Barlow for public sacrifice to keep the masses happy.

[bennyhana22]

2 hours ago, Woffy said:

I'm just speechless at the vast amounts of money these people make. I know I shouldn't be but...jesus.

It seems to happen so relatively quickly too.

My brother in law has recently returned from playing on the Desert Daze tour (admittedly, low on the bill) down the west coast of the US alongside the likes of Warpaint and Tame Impala...and will be working in the pub again next week.

Except, dear Woffy, that it only happens to a very small number of them, at that level. Mr Sheeran is one of two or three most popular artists in the world at the moment (don’t blame me, guv, not my fault...!) and the there is a VERY long skew to the right of the ‘musicians’ annual earnings curve...

It’s really no different to most industries. Most earn average, only a tiny handful earn crazy figures...

Annoying thing for we eFests snobs (of which I consider myself honorary shop steward) is that the very most popular and so successful are those we consider to be shite!

Or maybe it’s not annoying and we’s ACTUALLY be annoyed of if it wasn’t that way ‘round. I’m from the school of leaving a tent if more that five people walk in as the band has clearly sold out...

Ben

[Phoenix Girl]

You can check out Ed Sheeran Ltd on Companies House website which is one of his two companies (the royalties one). Everything is above board corporate tax wise and he pays himself a 16.8m dividend out of the company in 2017 on which he will pay dividend tax (up to 38.1%). Looks like he’s as clean as they come. 

[Woffy]

25 minutes ago, bennyhana22 said:

Except, dear Woffy, that it only happens to a very small number of them, at that level. Mr Sheeran is one of two or three most popular artists in the world at the moment (don’t blame me, guv, not my fault...!) and the there is a VERY long skew to the right of the ‘musicians’ annual earnings curve...

It’s really no different to most industries. Most earn average, only a tiny handful earn crazy figures...

Annoying thing for we eFests snobs (of which I consider myself honorary shop steward) is that the very most popular and so successful are those we consider to be shite!

Or maybe it’s not annoying and we’s ACTUALLY be annoyed of if it wasn’t that way ‘round. I’m from the school of leaving a tent if more that five people walk in as the band has clearly sold out...

Ben

Ha!

Yeah, I geddit. 

I expressed it poorly. It just astounds me. You’d think - hope, like it to be - an almost gradual, incremental climb towards mega-$$$. Like being working yer way up the pay grades. 

For some it just seems to be:

> fuck all, fuck all, fuck all, BOOM!!! MILLIONAIREx10s  

In such a sudden, short space of time.

Odd. 

[Woffy]

15 minutes ago, Phoenix Girl said:

You can check out Ed Sheeran Ltd on Companies House website which is one of his two companies (the royalties one). Everything is above board corporate tax wise and he pays himself a 16.8m dividend out of the company in 2017 on which he will pay dividend tax (up to 38.1%). Looks like he’s as clean as they come. 

Princess Eugenie was just a slightly wider arc of a sword swing away from endearing herself to me. 

[Beerqueen]

4 hours ago, henry bear said:

I can’t believe there are people so unself-aware that they’d be seen in public wearing a Coldplay t-shirt. Unless they’re all doing it ironically 

I can't believe there are people so smug about their music taste that they begrudge someone who likes a different band actually having the audacity to wear a t-shirt saying so.  

[CaledonianGonzo]

With one exception:

[CaledonianGonzo]

Bwahahaha

[Woffy]

27 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

I can't believe there are people so smug about their music taste that they begrudge someone who likes a different band actually having the audacity to wear a t-shirt saying so.  

Beerqueen, your Highness, one believes one might’ve activated the @bennyhana22 Band T-Shirt Debate Klaxon. 

*dives into the relative safety of a pile of Sonic Youth t-shirts (never to be worn AT ACTUAL Sonic Youth gigs)*

[Beerqueen]

4 minutes ago, Woffy said:

Beerqueen, your Highness, one believes one might’ve activated the @bennyhana22 Band T-Shirt Debate Klaxon. 

*dives into the relative safety of a pile of Sonic Youth t-shirts (never to be worn AT ACTUAL Sonic Youth gigs)*

Oh dear!  That sound ominous!

[mashedonmud]

6 hours ago, 1986 said:

In a moment of madness I got tickets for Berlin instead, 22,000 cap venue compared to Wembley's 90,000. I got through straight away (while still in a queue for Wembley) and we'll actually have a chance to see them. And a good excuse to see a bit of Berlin.

Sorry if the smug meter just went off but there could still be tickets left if people fancied the same idea.

Ditto. Gonna get mashed in Berlin. ?

[zico martin]

32 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

Oh dear!  That sound ominous!

Lol yeah. Artist's t-shirts are a hot potato like. It's a precise skill matching the right t-shirt to the set/ environment. Im far from a grandmaster but understand I am probably too old for 'Comedy' t-shirts now

[henry bear]

1 hour ago, Beerqueen said:

I can't believe there are people so smug about their music taste that they begrudge someone who likes a different band actually having the audacity to wear a t-shirt saying so.  

 

[bennyhana22]

2 hours ago, Woffy said:

Beerqueen, your Highness, one believes one might’ve activated the @bennyhana22 Band T-Shirt Debate Klaxon. 

*dives into the relative safety of a pile of Sonic Youth t-shirts (never to be worn AT ACTUAL Sonic Youth gigs)*

 

2 hours ago, Beerqueen said:

Oh dear!  That sound ominous!

Oh no, @Beerqueen, I'm really very lovely, if entirely intransigent, about this near-absolute truth, save for two exceptions:

1. Metallica - whereby not only is wearing a Metallica t-shirt to a Metallica gig allowed, not to is considered nigh on sacrilege and

2. Ed Sheeran - whereby if you're at an Ed Sheeran gig in an Ed Sheeran t-shirt, what you're wearing is, quite frankly, the least of your worries...

Ben

[Beerqueen]

Tbh my favourite band t-shirt is literally that.  Not a t-shirt of my favourite band but just the favourite t-shirt which features a band.  It makes me smile.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Beerqueen

[bennyhana22]

20 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

Tbh my favourite band t-shit is literally that.  Not a t-shirt of my favourite band but just the favourite t-shirt which features a band.  It makes me smile.

And, just as long as you wear it on any of the days that Robert & Co. are not headlining Pyramid, then the apocalypse can be averted...

Ben

[Beerqueen]

 

22 minutes ago, bennyhana22 said:

And, just as long as you wear it on any of the days that Robert & Co. are not headlining Pyramid, then the apocalypse can be averted...

Ben

I would feel a bit of a fraud wearing it if they were playing tbh because although I love the song (and a couple of others), I'm not a real fan, as I say I just love the t-shirt!

I have worn it at festivals where they haven't played.

Though I did wear my "Mrs Dave Grohl" t-shirt to a Foos concert so I've already failed your test.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Beerqueen

[bennyhana22]

18 minutes ago, Beerqueen said:

 

I would feel a bit of a fraud wearing it if they were playing tbh because although I love the song (and a couple of others), I'm not a real fan, as I say I just love the t-shirt!

I have worn it at festivals where they haven't played.

Though I did wear my "Mrs Dave Grohl" t-shirt to a Foos concert so I've already failed your test.

Oh

Oh dear

Oh dear me

?

Ben

[Beerqueen]

1 minute ago, bennyhana22 said:

Oh

Oh dear

Oh dear me

?

Ben

I know.  I know.  Sod it, I don't really care.  ?