Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-35918844

I dare say there's going to be more than a few red faces and sweaty palms amongst the elite.

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 19:20 ----------

Unsurprisingly, Putin associates appear to be amongst those engaged in dubious activity:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35918845

I wonder who's really behind all this.

Re: Tax havens exposed in law firm leak
 

Massive leak and it will be interesting to see who else is implicated. It seems the data is so large the German newspaper who received it has spread it out across the many media organisations around the world. Here it's The Guardian and the BBC.

The Guardian is leading with Putin: http://www.theguardian.com/news/2016...idden-offshore

I assume no senior politicians in the UK are implicated otherwise that would surely have been the lead.

Re: Tax havens exposed in law firm leak
 

Maybe they're just not rich (or bent) enough to feature highly in the list... ;)

God I'm praying there'll be loads of Eurocrats named and shamed... :D

Re: Tax havens exposed in law firm leak
 

Well true. These are the super rich so the amount of politicians on there would be low...

I wonder if any active US politicians are on there?

Re: Tax havens exposed in law firm leak
 

... and whether that has anything to do with the timing...

Re: Tax havens exposed in law firm leak
 

Actually maybe not. Apparently not a single US name is on the list which is odd....

Lots of football players though and also FIFA! Now, if you can't trust FIFA who can you trust.

Re: Tax havens exposed in law firm leak
 

Very odd I'd say. As odd as a republican twit being a serious contender.

Anyway, if we can't have UK politicians, Eurocrats or potential US presidents please, please, please can we have some hypocrite musicians, actors and celebrity luvvies who lecture everyone else on morality... :D

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

Footage has come out showing the moment the tax haven was confronted about the secret, illegal, accounts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpjX4q5ZWQc

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

I've always said everyone lives for money. everything they do is for money and how they can get loads of it all for themselves.
people in power are corrupt when it comes to money. they'd kill their granny for money.
they want thousands to turn into millions, and then they want billions.

I wonder how many UK and in government are corrupt. it's all going on behind the scenes. they're turning their thousands into millions, and hopefully into billions.

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

Are they illegal though?

see if I pick a UK bank that offers low tax & good rates I'm 'clever' and applauded, if I do the same with an offshore one, I'm a cheater, illegal or immoral, makes no sense. Surely my money, I do what I want with it, just like you can if you wish.

I hear so much champing about 'its illegal' and 'youre sooooo badd'

Then, when the red mist clears, it turns out , it's not actually illegal at all, then some chump goes on about 'well it's immorallll'

Putting your money in a place that best serves your purpose isn't anything but smart - provided it's not illegal, people should get over that.

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

I just riles me that the less well off have to pay their share of taxes, whilst those with wealth can find ways not to.

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

Well from what I've read some of what's alleged appears to be illegal.

Tax avoidance, of course, isn't illegal whilst morality is subjective so you'd expect differing opinions on that. There is also the question of hypocrisy on the part of those who, for example, don't mind telling others to pay their taxes but do their utmost to either avoid or even evade their paying their own dues.

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

Not being smart here, but does declaring false income to HMRC (Grossly less than you earn) while routing money off-shore avoiding tax on things like capital gains etc by using shell companies etc count?

That's basically what this company specialised in, going as far as to inventing these shell companies for their clients. There's tax avoidance, which is legal and frankly nearly everyone would "optimise" their tax given the chance, and there's evasion, which I'm going to guess this company veered into, lots.

Doing your best to fool the tax offices of your home country and run off with the cash isn't just immoral, but illegal and those of us on PAYE etc have a right to ask for any UK evaders to be chased and charged with any wrongdoing.

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

Oh dear, how embarrassing:

Fund run by David Cameron’s father avoided paying UK tax

"David Cameron’s father ran an offshore fund that avoided ever having to pay tax in Britain by hiring a small army of Bahamas residents – including a part-time bishop – to sign its paperwork."

Re: Tax havens exposed in huge law firm leak
 

Great, another opportunity for po-faced lefty hypocrisy:

http://order-order.com/2016/04/04/me...fshore-havens/