Why the 最高の-rich deserve their 税金 holiday

By Toby Young
Updated: 22:10 BST, 12 February 2011

TREASURE ISLANDS BY NICHOLAS SHAXSON (The Bodley 長，率いる £14.99)

You can't fault Nicholas Shaxson's タイミング. Since the 選挙 of the 連合, 税金 avoidance has become a hot topic.

George Osborne was 広範囲にわたって criticised for reaching a 解決／入植地 with Vodafone that absolved the co mpany of 支払う／賃金ing several billion 続けざまに猛撃するs in 税金, 大君 Philip Green is under 増加するing 圧力 to 支払う／賃金 more 税金s and a new 抗議する movement called UK Uncut is （選挙などの）運動をするing against 税金 avoiders.

In this lively and 井戸／弁護士席 written 調書をとる／予約する, Shaxson takes 目的（とする） at the shadowy world of 沖合いの／海外の 財政／金融? -? places such as Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.

Sand bank: The 税金 港／避難所 of the Cayman Islands is の中で the places 的d by Nicholas Shaxson

Shaxson's 長，指導者 （民事の）告訴 is that these 港／避難所s enable the 最高の-rich to 避ける 支払う／賃金ing 税金s, thus not 与える／捧げるing their fair 株 of the 税金s needed to 支払う／賃金 for peace and 安全.

To 証明する his 事例／患者, he produces a welter of facts. For instance, in 2005 the 税金 司法（官） 網状組織 概算の that 豊富な individuals held 11.5 一兆 dollars 価値（がある） of wealth 沖合いの／海外の. That's about a ４半期/4分の1 of 全世界の wealth, the 同等（の） to the entire 甚だしい／１２ダース 国家の 製品 of the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs.

In the Fifties, US 会社／団体s paid about two-fifths of all US 所得税. Today, that 株 has fallen to a fifth.

When the 億万長者 過密な住居 Buffet 調査するd his office he 設立する that he was 支払う／賃金ing the lowest 税金 率 の中で his office staff, 含むing his receptionist,' 令状s Shaxson.

The 存在 of 税金 避難所s is also a bo on to テロリストs and 犯罪のs.

'麻薬 smugglers, テロリストs and other 犯罪のs use the same 沖合いの／海外の 機械装置s and subterfuges? -? 爆撃する banks, 信用s, 模造の 会社／団体s? -? that 会社／団体s use,' the author 令状s. 'We will never （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 テロリストs or ヘロイン traffickers unless we 直面する the whole system.'

On the 直面する of it, this is やめる 納得させるing. But Shaxson is so puffed up with moral indignation, he doesn't consider some of the practical 障害s to clamping 負かす／撃墜する on 税金 avoidance.

For instance, if we 辞退する to 許す 億万長者s to 始める，決める foot in the UK unless they 支払う／賃金 higher 税金s, they'll just spend more of their time in Monaco and the result will be even lower 税金 領収書s for HM 歳入 and Customs.

類似して, if we make life tougher for international 会社／団体s that do 商売／仕事 in the UK, they will just take their 商売／仕事 どこかよそで.

When the 億万長者 過密な住居 Buffett 調査するd his office he 設立する that he was 支払う／賃金ing the lowest 税金 率 の中で his staff

The 推論する／理由 税金 avoidance 繁栄するs and will continue to 繁栄する is that no country is going to 行為／法令／行動する 片側だけに. Unless you can get past that 障害 you're never going to solve the problem.

More fundamentally, the moral 事例／患者 for 軍隊ing the rich to 支払う／賃金 more 税金 isn't as （疑いを）晴らす-削減（する） as Shaxson seems to think.

One of the more amusing 一時期／支部s here 関心s the Vesteys, for many years Britain's wealthiest family, who Shaxson 扱う／治療するs as a 事例／患者 熟考する／考慮する in 財政上の chicanery. But as Edmund Vestey says: 'Let's 直面する it, nobody 支払う／賃金s more 税金 than they have to.'

When you think about it that's true. And far from 存在 immoral, it's perfectly 合理的な／理性的な.

This argument was neatly summed up by 保守的な thinker Andrew Lilico:

'If you buy freshly squeezed orange juice, the price 含むs 付加価値税. If you buy 基準 concentrated orange juice, there is no 付加価値税. So if a 重要な 推論する／理由 you buy concentrated orange juice is that it is cheaper, you are 避けるing 支払う／賃金ing 付加価値税. Is that wrong?

'Spirits 背負い込む higher alcohol excise 義務 than beer. So if you would fancy a whisky but consider the price a bit 法外な and so buy beer, you are 避けるing 支払う／賃金ing 税金. Is that wrong?'

The answer is patently no. Indeed, 政府s routinely 増加する 税金s on 確かな things, such as cigarettes, in the hope that we will alter our behaviour as a consequence.

It would be 半端物 if a 政府 told us it was perfectly 権利 and proper for ordinary 国民s to engage in 税金 avoidance but not the rich. Just because there's more money at 火刑／賭ける doesn't make it immoral.

The problem with Shaxson's all-encompassing moral 激怒（する） is that he doesn't distinguish between 税金 avoidance and 税金 回避. The latter is 明確に wrong but the former is perfectly 合法的 and, in any 事例／患者, impossible to 除去する.

As Denis Healey said: 'The difference between 税金 avoidance and 税金 回避 is the thickness of a 刑務所，拘置所 塀で囲む.'