Short thread on how much VAT Uber is dodging. So they have 45,000 drivers in London alone (source ft.com/content/75bcf9…). /1
Those drivers earn £15p per hour before costs and work an average of 30 hours per week (sources personneltoday.com/hr/gig-economy… and thetimes.co.uk/article/many-u…) making a total of £450 per week or £23,400 per annum. /2
£23,400 x 45,000 gives gross fare receipts for Uber of £1.05bn - but that's for London alone. /3
I'm not aware of data on what proportion of Uber's business in London but it might be reasonable to assume two-thirds of its UK business is in London which would make its UK turnover £1.6bn. /4
£1.6bn of gross fares implies VAT of £270m per annum which will climb as Uber's market grows. Uber pretends that it is a business to business broker. And so it is the drivers who supply the taxi services. /5
That pretence has been rejected by courts in the UK and elsewhere around the world - but still HMRC will not act. /6 ft.com/content/7ca2f8…
When put under pressure to explain its failure to collect this VAT HMRC gives 'explanations' which are simply inexplicable - and as a specialist QC I speak with some authority. /7 waitingfortax.com/2017/12/21/ube…
The @GoodLawProject, which I direct, is suing Uber to force it to pay that VAT. Although I believe we are right on the substance Uber successfully plays the system to avoid the issue coming to court. I believe we will prevail but progress is painfully slow. /8
A viable Opposition would be asking why the Government leaves hundreds of millions of pounds uncollected. It would ask about documented links between the Tories and Uber. A rational Government would be concerned at the massive loss of trust its inaction engenders. /9
We have neither - and public services suffer increased cuts, tax-paying businesses go to the wall, the ability of our establishment to function is eroded, and trust in politics declines. Be angry - and help support our work goodlawproject.org/membership/ /ENDS
