... ask MNers to boycott Starbucks?

[legoballoon]

Personally, I won't be spending any money there again.

When I read the 'we pay our fair share of tax' statement, I almost choked on my (home made) hot chocolate. It's one law for the rich, another for us now is it?!

I think we should support small, UK-based independent coffee shops. Let's support businesses that generate wealth that is shared by local people.

What about people who steal stationery from work eh?

I'm in. Damn the exposé just before the Christmas lattes arrive. It's a huge sacrifice I tell you.

Stealing stationary from Starbucks might be the way to go.

Can I just thank Cinnabar for giving me a much better understanding of all this, and congratulate her on not losing her rag or getting frustrated by the many who have obviously read the op and not the rest.

Thank you

I don't think anyone should pay tax

Hullygully. It's theft, even worse it's theft employee, grounds for instant dismissal. You can't be advocating that theft is right and being completely compliant with the law is wrong.

Stealing is stealing whether it's tax money or loopholes in the Caymans or paperclips.

They are not stealing, there is no liability for them to pay any tax more than they have. How much extra tax do you pay, voluntarily?

Stealing a loophole is a right pain in the arse.

I don't pay any tax, I am registered on Grand Cayman. BUT I don't sell expensive coffee either and keep all the profit.

What MaryZed said

Thanks Cinnabar

Our local Starbucks closed last winter and was replaced by a Costa.

Luff you, MaryZed.

Why is everyone thanking Cinnabar?

She is CONDONING their malpractice and evil theft????

Not paying tax which is lawfully due = evasion = illegal.

Definitely not what Starbucks, or even Greene King, have done.

Don't you even pay tax on the goat Hully? I simply don't believe you

disclaimer: I am showing that I have a SOH and have RTFT

I hate Costa. They serve coffee in soupbowls, and forget to put enough coffee in.

Looking forward to a choice of seats in Starbucks though

We have BBs Coffee and Muffins here.

They sell lovely muffins and have a loyalty card where every fifth coffee is free.

I wonder do they pay tax on the free ones?

Starbucks Coffee tastes of wee. End of.

Yes, I will think twice before I buy a coffee off them. Profits made in the UK from UK customers should have full UK tax paid on it. IMO. I hope HMRC are successful in closing these legal loopholes, soon.

Starbucks are far from the only ones. If we emptied our shopping trolleys of goods that are produced by companies with headquarter profits in low tax locations and minimal tax liabilities in higher ones including the UK, our trolleys would be very empty indeed.

It is slightly disingenuous to say that it is anything less than a deliberate choice on the part of the company to ensure profits are minimised in high tax locations and maximised in low tax locations, though it is perfectly within the rules.

HMRC can't close loopholes, only Parliament can. Tax legislation is unnecessarily complex and with complexity you get complication, simplify it. The current tax policy was formulated by the last Labour government, one can only presume that this is what they intended.

Read the thread people, read the fucking thread.

Interesting debate going on.

As naive and fantasist as some might think a boycott might be, as one of the small people in this country, who feels like they chuck away their vote every time there is an election (because although I do vote, many of the politicians - of all parties - seem to cosy up to big business with one eye on their post-cabinet careers); who pays all the tax on their earnings and hasn't the option of paying myself a salary and complement that income with dividends or purchases made through my company; who has been told repeatedly "we're in this together" although I see vast disparity between the people of this country -- well, I, for one, just want to feel like I could do a small thing to express my disdain for the perfectly legal tax avoidance strategies of a big company.

And yes, I totally agree that it's MPs that need to pursue this matter and HMRC that need to get their acts together, but I've written to my MP about other matters before, and get fobbed off with letters that suggest he has barely registered the subject matter, let alone be prepared to do something about it.

And if anyone cares to join me, then all the better. Vote with your wallets, it's the only language that gets people listening.

So is it just Starbucks you are boycotting?

Surely you should boycott every company that produces goods or pays tax outside the UK.

Which might leave your shopping trolley a bit empty.

I regularly drink lattes at Starbucks in Dubai

I am filth personified.