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I often wonder who loves the Royal Family more, the British or the Americans.
by vermontdevil 13y ago
I often wonder who loves the Royal Family more, the British or the Americans.
- claudius 13y agoFor a start, the Americans likely don’t finance the royal family or have to accept their tax avoidance.
- nnnnni 13y agoOh wow, I never thought about the tax avoidance part.
- lotsofcows 13y agoYou list that as two separate things. We don't directly finance the royal family although various members get paid very well for various public engagements. Tax avoidance implies breaking the law. The tax arrangements with the royal family reflect the unique position as de facto holders of much UK "public" property. This is being sorted out with the separation of Crown Property and the various family member's private property and the definition of state / private events. As this is resolved, the royal family take on a greater tax burden. The Queen has been paying income tax for decades. People seem to separate the Royal Family from other rich and powerful people in the country. They all got there the same way, playing the game of capitalism (in which inheritance / nepotism is inherent)) better than us. If the UK dropped its monarchy, these people wouldn't just disappear. They would still be massively rich. They would still, fortunately, act as a tourist magnet (although probably to a lesser degree). They would still be plastered all over the papers. And we'd probably end up replacing them with some voted in leader to the 2nd house. Cue more politicians and even worse media frenzy. Woot!
- shellac 13y agoNo, 'evasion' implies breaking the law. I think the parent was referring specifically to Prince Charles and the Duchy of Cornwall's curious tax affairs. As you say, the rest of the rest pay tax.
- lotsofcows 13y agoI was going to say that in the UK the two are the same, however it seems we have adopted the USAian usages. Apparently, my knowledge of tax law is stuck in the 70s...
- dragonwriter 13y ago> Tax avoidance implies breaking the law. At least in US usage it doesn't. Tax avoidance specifically is not breaking the law, whereas tax evasion specifically is breaking the law.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- sanswork 13y agoNor does the UK they are a profit generator not a cost centre.
- tehwalrus 13y agoI love the fact that Americans, to turn the royal baby news back on, would have to click the button called "Royalist?" - the irony is wonderful.
- eli 13y agoAnecdotally, I suspect the Americans are more interested. American TV personality Barbara Walters interviewed a Kate Middleton lookalike--a waitress who is not pregnant--about how the baby was doing.
- mike-cardwell 13y agoI'm English. I was visiting a friend in Connecticut about 10 years ago. I remember the taxi driver saying that I must be really happy when he found out I was English. I asked why, and he said because it was the Queens birthday. He seemed surprised when I said that not only did I not know this, but that I didn't care either, and that most of my British friends also didn't give a toss about the Royal Family either. I think he had a hard time believing this.