C4 Dispatches on Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster

[Babadookinthewardrobe]

I couldn’t find another thread on this. I watched this yesterday. I am so angry. The royal family are grim parasites funding their luxury lifestyle from the sweat of the British people. Via the duchies they are rinsing the NHS and charities for millions. It’s horrific. No IHT, no CGT, no transparency, no consideration for the environment of which they are supposed to be stewards in the duchies.

Their behaviour and greed is absolutely grim
and I am so sick of the lot of them. I’m joining republic, I’m so shocked at what I’ve just seen. The French had the right idea.

1. The income from both Duchies has been voluntarily taxed since 1993.

Famously, the UK has had a tax system since some time before 1993.

No other fucker in the land can choose not to pay tax. Why should they? More importantly, why don't they want to pay more and see their beloved Britain prosper?

unincorporated businesses don’t get to choose whether or not they pay the tax they owe.

Unincorporated business don’t owe tax though. They have no legal personality.

Absolutely correct.

No other fucker in the land can choose not to pay tax.

Jimmy Carr might disagree with you. From HMRC’s 2023 performance update:

• the average value of our criminal cases increased from £2.3 million in 2016-17 to £6.2 million
• our serious fraud investigators initiated 396 new criminal cases and more than 12,500 civil investigations into suspected fraud
• 240 prosecutions were brought as a result of HMRC criminal investigations, securing 218 convictions with a success rate of 91% in court
• we recovered £165 million in criminal assets using UK proceeds of crime legislation

Using new powers, we named 27 tax avoidance scheme promoters and 5 directors during 2022-23, alongside details of the 31 tax avoidance schemes they were promoting.

(As an aside, I think the Queen should have agreed to pay income tax for sooner than she did, actually - but there is also no denying that societally and politically this was not such an issue for much of the 20th century).

So they can lobby behind the scenes to change laws that work in their interests but not to change laws that would see them lose money? Interesting

It isn’t about seeing their subjects prosper, it is about milking the people, the land and even the seabed for every last penny, whether or not it is harmful. Disgusting parasites.

Love your username!

OK so can we expect to see C and W in court soon on tax charges? I would fucking love that

Of course you fucking would. What would the charge be against them?

Not paying inheritance tax due for C. I would have to get parliament to strike down his cosy personal exemption that no-one else in the country gets first, of course.

Fit for purpose? They're a family, a group of people whose place in society is hereditary. They're not a manufactured commodity that has to meet specific requirements.

You just have to read MN to see examples of dysfunctional families. Why do you expect the RF to be any different.

I believe that once Charles snuffs it everything will change

Tax evasion on a massive scale in collaboration with HMRC; environmental damage to areas of outstanding natural beauty (ref Dispatches evidence), failure to fulfil landlord responsibilities (again ref Dispatches).

This ^ absolutely.

That’s to @upinaballoon

I believe that once Charles snuffs it everything will change

We thought that about when the Queen died.

Sigh.
The individual or individuals operating the unincorporated business owe income tax and NI on the profits of said business. They do not get choose whether they pay that tax or not. Unlike the individual involved in the Duchy of Cornwall.

He is building houses on his own land which he will rent out for market rents. What is so admirable about that?

Blimey, so can I claim my everyday work wardrobe as a tax deductible expense?

24 whole units in one of the parts of the country most terribly blighted by rural poverty and hidden homelessness driven by second home ownership

Plenty of normal working people can and do, yes.

Sighing right back at you since that’s correct yes, but not what you’ve previously said.

I don't have a particular issue with the royals charging rent including to the NHS and other public services.

I do think the less of them for making least £28m from windfarms because the Duchy of Lancaster retains a feudal right to charge for cables crossing the foreshore.

That isn't a service they are providing like being a landlord, that is deliberately profiteering from something they are doing nothing to earn. If they didn't take that £ they do not need, there would be more wind farms - and they claim to care about the environment which makes them giant hypocrites.

Except unlike other taxpayers he does not have to declare what expenses he is deducting and he has never broken down what expenses he is deducting. Does that include the costs of the vanity gold coach he had made for his coronation at vast vast expense, for example?
I have to wear smart clothes to work too, but I am not allowed to deduct my work wardrobe, quite rightly, on the basis that even if I was not going to work I would have to clothe myself.
please don’t pretend it is in anyway comparable to normal taxpayers, we aren’t stupid you know.

I'm fascinated at the distinction you are making. I can't see it applies. Most landlords of non residential property don't provide a "service" as most tenants (certainly tenants of whole buildings) take the building on a full repairing basis so the landlord does nothing, just collects rent.

It's all grim. The royals could clearly do far more for the country.

Why people insisted on singing about them and bowing and scraping to them I don't k or.

No but the individuals who run the businesses do. The duchies say on the one hand say we are not incorporated so won’t pay corporation tax and on the other say although we are private, the individuals who own us won’t pay CGT and will only pay a small voluntary part of the income tax other individuals pay, and btw we will do the calculation and not show you our workings.