3 ms·
Ireland is regularly called a tax haven and comes under heavy scrutiny. It seems politically convenient for many of the bigger countries to point the finger rat
by s_dev 11y ago
Ireland is regularly called a tax haven and comes under heavy scrutiny. It seems politically convenient for many of the bigger countries to point the finger rather than introduce their own reforms. Oddly often by places like the UK who happily operates the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Jersey in the same manner. Irelands advertised rate is actually quite close to its effective rate which most other countries don't do. Belgium, where the official rate stands at 34% but this report said companies were handing over 6.5% on their profits. The truth is though if everywhere is partially a tax haven then no where is.
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/paying-taxes/pdf/pwc-paying-taxes-2015-high-resolution.pdf http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/paying-taxes/pdf/pwc-paying-taxes-2...
- TheOtherHobbes 11y agoThe Channel Islands and IoM are Crown Dependencies and not technically part of the main UK economy. They live in a sweet constitutional loophole which gives them the right to set their own tax policies. Inevitably they're very different to those set by the British parliament for the mainland. The British monarchy, which effectively administers them directly, through a small bureaucracy, apparently has no problem with this. Some of the population might have a problem with it, but it's never been allowed to become a political issue. Much of the real - but unofficial - value of the UK economy comes from tax avoidance. This partly explains why there's so much condescension here for manufacturing, software engineering, and start-ups: real entrepreneurs work in investment management, market trading, high-level deal-making and negotiation, and tax strategy. They don't play with computers - that's something kids and engineers do.