to be jealous of Phillip Green and his family at their £16,000 a night luxury villa in Barbados

[EggFriedRice]

Some people are so lucky here we are trapped in a snow covered Britain whilst some high profile tax avoiding folk are ejoying the luxury of exclusive hotels in Barbados, but I suppose when you are paid an enormous £1.2 billion tax free bonus, equivalent to £3.3 million per day ( paid in 2005 to Arcadia owner Tina Green) you have to spend it somewhere . No sale shopping for the Greens they'll miss the bargains in BHS. Topshop & Dorothy Perkins as they'll still be on their hols, but would they buy clothes in their own shops anyway I hope that the protests by UK Uncut to boycott Arcadia shops will lead to scrutiny of tax avoidance in the UK.

[capricorn76]

Sorry Longfingernails but I have to disagree with you slightly.

I am a small business owner and it is very hard for a small business to become a big business in this country because the playing field is far from level.

The rules surrounding tax on my business are far more actively policed than for large businesses such as Arcadia and Vodafone. We must pay our taxes in full or there is hell to pay. I have been HOUNDED by HMRC in the past because of a relatively small underpayment. I pay a higher proportion on tax than Green and earn hundreds of times less.

I cannot afford the worlds best accountants to legally avoid tax and at the end of the day I believe it is morally right that everyone pays their full taxes anyway. Those who say 'well the rich don't use state schools or hospitals so why should they pay' don't seem to realise that those same rich people still enjoy the protection of our police, fire brigade, army, ambulances, can drive on our roads, benefit from street lighting etc, all of which are paid for by taxes.

The government is only interested in the survival of big business not small business.

Nobody needs billions. If the Green family are making their money in the UK, they need to pay taxes to the UK. I also find it highly ridiculous that a store involved in tax avoidence is using the police (paid for by little peoples taxes) to intervene when demonstrators occupy their stores.

Finally there will always be teenage girls willing to part with their cash for over-priced made in China tat that's only appealing because of strong marketing. If Arcadia left the UK high street tomorrow because of mass boycotts or because they didn't want to pay tax, another sweat-shop tat-peddler would take their place pretty quickly and the former Arcadia employees would just work there. As long as there's demand there will always be supply.

[ccpccp]

Another Philip Green bashing thread.

I can safely say that he contributes vastly more to the UK than every poster on this thread combined.

The UK needs to slash the welfare state back to the bare bones in order to be competitive globally again, rather than expect a handful of the best talent to support everyone else when they legally dont need to.

OP - YABU to be jealous of a Barbados holiday though. Its Christmas - nothing better than snow :)

BTW - a man like Philip Green never takes a holiday. Hes paying 16k a night for a villa because he will be holding non-stop parties/networking to further his business and social circle. I bet he expenses the lot. Does that make you more jealous?

[longfingernails]

capricorn I agree that small business is disproportionately hit by regulation and red tape - at least big business can cope with it.

However, who do you think introduced all this nonsense legislation and overbearing regulation which can really cripple small business? Do you think the reams of idiocy come from the present government?? No, it comes from the EU, and from Labour.

As for your attack on the very wealthy, I just don't understand it. I think that people earning £100,000 are rich; they probably think that people earning £1m are rich; they probably think that people earning £100m are rich. Why do so many in this country hate those who have worked so hard to become very rich, from nothing? I say good on them - this country benefits immensely.

[longfingernails]

smallwhitecat Oh, I agree entirely.

However, I find her attitude a bit strange. It boils down to: HMRC made my life hell - so they should make the life of the very rich hell too.

Why not instead take the attitude: HMRC should have a fair and rigorous but efficient inspection regime, for everyone, whether they are very rich, rich, struggling on, or poor - and always take into due account the burdens their inspections can place on businesses?

I think most small business owners would subscribe to that view, rather than hers.

[coccyx]

Good luck to him. Why bdo people hate him because he has worked hard to get where heis. bet he doesn't sit around watching Jeremy Kyle !
All those who are jealous should take a good look at themselves

[BeenBeta]

violethill - I'll second that too.

There really is no point in envy of rich people. Unless you are rich you have no idea what their life is really like. Security is a major concern. Imagine being frightened your DCs were going to be kidnapped or that every person they might choose as a boy/girl migt just be interested in their money. Imagine everywhere you go there are cameras pointed at you and you get constantly criticised for everything you do.

I used to work for one of the worlds richest men and it always struck me he was horribly lonely outside work. He used to come in to work on Sunday to sit alone in an empty office to read telexes.

[edam]

LeQueen - lots of people are stressed. And actually the medical and psychological evidence is that stress is far worse the further down the hierarchy you are - it's about having control. Green can decide to retire if he wants. Most people can't afford to give up their jobs.

[ccpccp]

Philip Green is top of the tree.

Seriously. Nothing we have experienced can ever give a glimpse of the life he has lived or the talent for business he has shown to build his empire.

After getting to the top of the tree through sheer grit, hes now expected to bail out the UK so that a lot of people spoilt under labour can continue to be spoilt. There is no legal reason for doing this of couse, other than a few people moralising 'its not fair'.

I know what I'd be saying if I were him. Get fucked.

[Alouiseg]

I heard a lovely expression this week, "stop looking over other peoples fences and mow your own lawn"

However wealthy you are there will always be somebody wealthier, till you're Bill Gates or Warren Buffett obviously.

Just think of the money that Arcadia puts in to the economy! They're not breaking any laws, they're massive employers and huge stimulators of the economy.

"Life isn't fair". - No shit Sherlock.

[edam]

Right, so we ignore things that are objectionable, harmful and wrong as long as they are legal? OK, that's all the fuss about the woman flogged for wearing trousers in Sudan sorted. After all, it was legal. Addictions to prescription drugs? Absolutely fine, it is legal, after all...

There are lots of things in the world that are legal but harm others. Some people tend to care about some of them. If you don't care about any particular one that's under discussion, fine, but that's no reason to try to stop everyone else.

[Alouiseg]

I don't find it at all objectionable that a hard working, successful man who generates millions for the economy is having a nice holiday.

[Alouiseg]

And fwiw, he is apparently a legendary tipper so the staff at the hotel will be well looked after.

[edam]

You are deliberately missing the point.

[Alouiseg]

I'm not missing any point, I just don't do bitter and twisted. Life is too short to fret about what other people do with their lives.

[edam]

Depends whether that person's choices harm other people.

He's free to do what he likes with his own money. But not with ours. If he paid his fair share of taxes, no-one would care what he chose to do on holiday.

[LookToWindward]

" If he paid his fair share of taxes, no-one would care what he chose to do on holiday."

I understand he has paid over £400 million in tax in the last 5 years. Not including of course corporation tax and the tax and various contributions his various employee have made.

[bringmesomeFIGGYpudding]

All I can say is if you have that much money what do you aspire to get later on in life. I would love to stay in a luxury pad but then it ruin me for life as I would never want to go anywhere else............., the tax thing I ain't going near as I am sure I will get it all wrong - if I can't get my own tax right I am not going to get anyone elses right!