to wonder why people shop at Amazon?

[poppytripll]

Starbucks and the other well known tax dodging companies? If we need more money to pay teachers properly, fund the nhs etc then surely if we supported retailers that pay UK tax it may help? I don't buy coffee much but I use Costa if I do, as it's part of a British company that pays tax.

I also shop in Sainsbury or Waitrose because they pay UK tax as opposed to Aldi and Lidl. I'm probably over simplifying this so please tell me if iabu!

[MaryWestmacott]

I don't buy from Starbucks because I don't like their coffee. So i've not been their customer for a lot longer than their tax arrangements have been 'a problem'.

Really, I have no problem with tax arrangments to minimise - within the law - tax payments. Realistically, this is a problem with buying anything from a multinational, if they do'nt have to be based in the UK, then with our tax system, why would they? We have chosen to have a tax system that's not the cheapest within the EU, then unfortunately, in a free market with companies like this who can be based anywhere, they aren't going to chose us.

(And they do have a large office in Luxembourg, funnily enough with lots of British staff who've been convinced to leave and therefore not paying their tax in the UK either - I've read before about it being just a fake or shell office, that's just not true.)

And I have an ISA and when I was working I bought childcare vouchers - I do tax avoidance too, anyone else?

[Cyclebump]

I used to shop ethically, I used to avoid naughty companies etc etc, then I got poor.

[scottishmummy]

I shop amazon,because of cost.theyre considerably cheaper for books than bookstore
No moral qualms,whatsoever.I'm a consumer i exercise free choice.i chose them
I like starbuck products,i like amazon.their tax activities are legal and don't vex me

[StandardHeight]

Yes they should pay more tax. But they employ a hell of a lot of people here

[MelanieCheeks]

Tucson, loopholes are not built in to tax law. Govt A comes into power and wants to introduce something. Laws are enacted to allow this. But there will usually be some allowance for any one who'd lose put under previous regimes. Then the govt changes. And new rules are enforced. But again, uses of previous instruments may have some protection.

Tax law is a continually evolving and changing and tentacled octopus of a bogeyman. Nobody builds in loopholes, but they ate very tricky to iron out.

[scottishmummy]

Why would i chose to pay more for items?if book shop isnt competitively priced thats their issue

[buzzielizzie]

I'm also guilty of shopping from Amazon due to convenience. I try to use links from charity websites when I remember so at least a charity receives a cut from the order value (see www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/charity-fundraising-sites#other).

[scottishmummy]

Bottom line op,youre free to spend your disposable income how you wish,inc paying more for items
I shop about,chose by price.i wouldn't pay more to avoid amazon
I have no qualms with starbuck or amazon

[Alicebannedit]

RedToothBrush "I use Amazon because it keeps my postie in a job."

Yes exactly! The other week the Royal Mail delivery man came back specially with a yet another parcel for me which he'd found in his van, and I confessed I'd been buying a lot from Amazon lately - his reply, with a great smile, was 'well I don't mind, it keeps me in a job'

[Stratter5]

I live in the middle of Nowheresville, Amazon is incredibly reliable, Amazin Prime is brilliant. I get free next day delivery, even on a Sunday, and it's cheaper than anywhere else.

[Esmum07]

Just a quick not to those who use Green Metropolis but won't use Amazon...Green Metropolis sell via Amazon. They are selling books on behalf of small business or one man bands in a lot of cases and it makes sense to list some of these books on the biggest site. I know there are issues about tax etc but Amazon is not just Amazon. They don't supply every product themselves! They have products sold by businesses that may not get a big foot fall on their own websites. It is easy to spot who is selling as it is listed.

So it isn't always 'the nasty giant Amazon' that you are paying your money to (although they get commission or other fees of course).

If you check out Green Metropolis's forums you will find plenty of sellers who love the fact that GM will sell their GM listed books via Amazon if GM think it would reach the right audience. Ultimately these small dealers have to get to the wider audience and, if Amazon fulfill that need GM has an obligation to get those books sold both for the seller and for the charities GM support. Books sitting about for weeks don't help anybody.

It is like small sellers using Etsy or Not on The High Street. It isn't the jewellery seller at fault if Etsy, for example, didn't pay full tax legitimately and, as a small business how else would they get their products to a wider audience? Many of these businesses don't have a huge advertising budget. And, as many people have pointed out, it is tax avoidance not tax evasion. Many small businesses push down their tax burden in the UK - off setting legitimate expenses for example or paying dividends to the owner each year instead of a big wage each month which means you pay less tax. Any accountant would tell a business to do the same. It is legal. You offset every penny you can!

It may not be a 'nice' thing for a huge organisation to do but then neither is cash in hand jobs by the plumber or tips that may not be declared by a hairdresser or cabbie. I know some people are scrupulous about declaring tips or when they are paid in cash (our window cleaner says he declares very penny, cash or cheque) but I imagine some are not and all that tax is lost to the country as well.

[sleepdodger]

Waitrose Sainsburys m&s all pay dairy farmers at same rate
Morissons coop asda all been reported as paying under feasible rate...
Aldi and lidl less again

[MegMogandOwlToo]

Yes YABU to wonder why, surely you can think of some reasons why people would choose to shop there?

It's convenient, cheap, no queues, no opening times etc

[scottishmummy]

Gideon I know the provenance of supermarket and high st clothes,doesn't put me off buying them.
No blind eye from me.i chose to shop primary,and on high st primarily by price
Many high end retailers use same sourcing and production methods too

[WannabeMrsJoshHomme]

Didn't even know they were tax dodgers. I really like Amazon.

[Andrewofgg]

If you want Amazon to face a level playing field then the first step is to abolish the restrictions on opening hours which apply to bricks-and-mortar shops but not (obviously) online.

[TucsonGirl]

What restrictions are there on Bricks and mortar shops nowadays? Other than supermarkets on sundays?

[CheeryName]

The other day I bought 3000 loom bands for 2.65 delivered. I don't think the tax man is ever going to go bankrupt from my amazon shopping.

[Strokethefurrywall]

I live overseas so I ship books by UK authors to family members to bring out, along with hard to get make up etc. Its a bloody godsend.

I have no principles. But then I don't pay tax either

[Viviennemary]

I love Amazon. I think those companies that exploit employees in the third world are far far worse. And they are promoting books so maybe looking at it as a state subsidy rather than tax avoidance might be an idea. Well I'll tell myself that anyway.

[SociallyAcceptableCookie]

I don't believe there is a moral obligation to pay more tax than the law requires. I don't do it so why should anyone else?

[Trapper]

I am amused by politicians naming and shaming companies and individuals in this way when what they should be doing is overhauling tax law to make it simpler and more transparent, introducing a system where all income (capital AND Labour) is taxed at the same rate with no loopholes. Until such a system is in place we will continue to see inequalities of this nature.
The whole concept of embarrassing companies and individuals into donating more to the HMRC coffers than the law demands is unsustainable and ignores the fact that boards have a duty to maximise value for stakeholders.

[donnie]

I use Amazon a lot, for all kinds of things. The onus is on the government to compel big corporations to pay tax, not the individual. Why don't they do more to make this happen? because so many of them , as well as their donors, are tax exiles and/or in tax avoidance schemes. Hypocrites the effing lot of them.