Zac Goldsmith

No he hasn't broken UK tax laws MmeBB. But the non-dom status is a tax law designed for foreign nationals who are temporarily in the UK. If someone is standing for parliament (or is indeed a British MP) then they must be domiciled in the UK. Meaning they are not non-doms. Therefore they must not claim non-dom status. ZG did not give up his non-dom status until December 2009 - long after he had been put forward as a tory candidate for Richmond

'Hve you ever puzzled over the marriaged/separately or the married/jointly distinction? Then you will realise that the IRS encourages you to minimise your taxes. It is a FACT! Have you ever had an IRS audit - I have and they really do expect you to minimise your own taxes.'

Well, no, no I haven't.

It's not a FACT!, however, that, for some, married filing separately might result in a lower taxes and so therefore that = encouragement.

Yes, I've been audited.

But I was single then.

Meh.

They didn't encourage, they just went through all my stuff and kept asking for more and more stuff.

Well, chand, yes, I do understand what non-dom status is.

And, if you had read my other posts, you'd see, I think anyone who lies and cheats the way Zac has, and others, should be chucked out of public office.

Yes.

Believe it or not, if there were, there are others, many others, of better character who can replace them.

No one's irreplaceable.

Even the Queen has a successor.

Hve you ever puzzled over the marriaged/separately or the married/jointly distinction? Then you will realise that the IRS encourages you to minimise your taxes. It is a FACT! Have you ever had an IRS audit - I have and they really do expect you to minimise your own taxes.

The large majority of benefit recipients have contributed. Most of them have worked and will work again. The proportion of taxes that are evaded by the super-rich are worth far in excess of benefits paid out.

expat - it wasn't difficult to understand really. But I shall clarify: And I'm swearing because I think making really snide comments about a benefits system which I am personally proud of from someone who comes from a country where the poor are left to fend for themselves really pisses me off.

'The benefits trap is a problem that a strong government needs to tackle.'

Many would add immigration in there, too.

no, he has not.

Has Zac Goldsmith actually broken UK tax laws?

This is imporatnt to know..

EiS - do you even understand what it means to be a non-dom? He has paid tax on his income.
And do you have a list of all the liars and cheats in Parliament - it's a long list after the expenses scandal, etc.
And do you think it's fair that the US is the only country that will tax earnings already subject to tax in another jurisdiction?

'You are encouraged by the IRS, no less, to file the status that minimises your taxes.'

How? I've never been contacted by the IRS or encouraged in any way to do anything other than file my return in hte 23 years I've been doing so.

Are there public service announcements now, and letters to all working citizens, saying, 'Psst, give the US Treasury are little as possible! Here's how: . . . '

I've been abroad 9 years, perhaps this campaign of encouragement is a new thing . . .

I would have to disagree (and I won't even use bad language), rlb.

Higher rate taxpayers pay half their income in taxes. No other group does this.

If you are trying to include benefits recipients into the marginal taxrate, this is quite immoral, since they have done nothing to earn their income.

The benefits trap is a problem that a strong government needs to tackle.

'but I'm sure you get the gist'

That's a rather grand assumption.

Forgive me, I didn't realise you were a dual national.

That is not an expat, either, however.

And that sentence didn't make sense but I'm sure you get the gist

MMe, here's a newsflash: we are not talking about the US tax system.

It's neither here nor there. It has nothing to do with the election of Zac Goldsmith, a tax dodger.

But that was a fine endeavour to wag the dog, a game of which I am not overly fond, because I find it weak. A bit like bringing up the US tax structure and asking how I feel about it. Which is again, neither here nor there.

And I should probably change my name, because I'm an immigrant here, not an expat.

Again, did you vote?

Well if you know the UK taxation system (one x, not two), then you will know that the highest earners pay the lowest proportion of their income in tax.

I pay all the taxes I should, I don't begrudge a penny of it. I wouldn't mind paying more if I earned 6 figures either. I just want a fair system. And I'm swearing because I think making really snide comments about a benefits system which I am personally proud of when they come from a country where the poor are left to fend for themselves really pisses me off. Oops, swore again

Yes, I did vote, as I have done every election where I have been in the UK.

EiS,

perhaps it doesn't apply to you, but when you do yor US tax returns, you can nominate to file married/singly or married/jointly.

You are encouraged by the IRS, no less, to file the status that minimises your taxes.

Personally, we do the jointly route becaus that is best for us. A lot of expats file separately - their mileage may vary.

There is no glory in paying extra taxes. The better thing to do is to give the money you are eager to part with to charity. That's what we do, and we are happy that we are able to track it to worthwhile causes.

'I have a fairly intimate knowledge of the taxxation systems in two countries.'

Please, try to extend some of that intimate knowledge to the culture of your host country.

For example, anyone with in-depth knowledge of British culture would know that people who object to issues as such as non-dom status are not automatically in receipt of benefits.

Most would find that, as RLB and I do, for I am both, quite absurd and insulting.

Do carry on.

Here, here's some more rope.

Oh, did you vote?

RLB, what don't I understand?

I have a fairly intimate knowledge of the taxxation systems in two countries.

Admittedly, as a lowly teacher, I only personally pay basic rate taxes, but I do have reasonable second-hand knowledge of the trials and tribulation of the high-life of a higher rate contributer.

Please, hold your bad language for someone else. It is just not fitting for someone who pays higher rate.

At any rate, hope you honoured your British nationality and VOTED.

Was pleasing to see so much turnout.

'However, the bedrock of US taxes is that you do what it takes to minimise your own taxes, such as making the decision to file a married/separately vs married/jointly. There is no obligation to make voluntary donations.'

You declare it. They know about it, and you have to prove you paid it to someone else if not.

To do otherwise is dodging, not minimising.

And of course, there's just the not so-small-- issue that UK taxes are set up very differently from US ones (excepting the self-employed, who have to fill out a tax return).

I'm not on benefits. Nor is edam.

Why assume people who think everyone should pay his/her fair share is a benefits claimant/

What a weak supposition.

You were being really snide. It was deserved

Nice

Err excuse me? Benefits claimants?? Fuck you.

I'm a higher rate taxpayer actually. I just expect everyone to pay all the taxes they are supposed to, not evade them. There is bugger all transparency in the UK and a system that is designed to benefit the wealthiest. Perhaps you should find out a bit more about how taxes in the UK work before you go sounding off about something you clearly don't really understand