A taxing issue

Corporate tax dodgers - something that really gets my goat. Even more than rail companies.

Several large corporates have been making news headlines this year as it emerges they are getting away with paying just a miniscule amount of tax in the countries they operate in.

Google, Starbucks, Amazon and now Apple have all had their turn in the firing line recently - but it is happening everywhere in big business. Nowhere is immune.

And quite frankly it P****S me off.

Those of us stuck in PAYE schemes have no chance of saving a little bit of tax at all - we are bearing the brunt, yet these corporations - and I'm aiming this at all of them, not just the named above - get away with paying peanuts.

For example I would love to be able to offset my extortionate rail fare from my net salary - but sadly I cannot. It comes out of taxed income - which makes me want to cry. But I have to suck it up.

It is not as if these companies are paying their staff any higher amounts either, it is just a way of saving those at the top money, and funnelling funds into their shareholders' and directors' accounts.

These companies are quite happy to operate in lucrative countries, and take money off the citizens of that country, but when it comes to putting something back, and paying tax on the revenue earned through those citizens, they all seem to miraculously have some off-shore avoidance scheme on the go.

If loophole finding were an Olympic sport, these companies would all win a joint gold medal.

Finally the issue is getting political traction and instead of villifying benefit cheats all the time (and don't get me wrong, they make me sick too), attention is rightly turning to the serial corporate tax avoiders/shirkers.

They must pay their way and be punished for their actions. No excuses, no wriggle room and no more loopholes.

All I need now is someone to tackle the issue of ridiculous rail fares, and introduce a cap on how much a commuter has to pay, and life would be good.