@ScotsForLeaveEU @AllianceBE @TheBluetrot An excellent piece. It really reinforces the point that UK tax avoidance on this scale cannot be tackled from within the EU. The reason my piece focuses on CFC rules within the ATAD is that the EU renders them ineffective within the EU. Ireland will, of course, be absolutely... @ScotsForLeaveEU @AllianceBE @TheBluetrot ...insistent that the UK fully aligns with the EU's ATAD, ironically painting itself as a "good guy" in the process! However, the CFC rules in the ATAD say this:

So Angelo has sentenced Claudio to death because Claudio’s fiancé is pregnant (immorality), and Isabella pleaded with Angelo for leniency. Angelo initially refuses causing Isabella to say, “Dressed in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what he’s most assured,… …His glassy essence, like an angry ape, Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven. As makes the angels weep, who with our spleens, Would all themselves laugh mortal.” She is saying it’s ridiculous that men think they can play (glassy essence/mimic) God and pass…

Thread. I wrote this years ago on a pro-Brexit Fb page. Bear with it!

"A book review, if I may?  Be warned - I am going to be complimentary about Guy Verhofstadt.  I know people here dislike just about everything he stands for, but that’s no reason to dislike a person.. If you didn’t already know Guy Verhofstadt is in charge of the Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament, and he’s going represent the EP in negotiations with the UK.  I never found him speaking highly of the UK – but then usually when I see him he’s in some...

Thread!! Big thread! Oh, coffee! Don’t go any further without coffee! This is an 80+ tweet thread about tax! People with goldfish-type attention spans, or people with no interest in tax or #Brexit need not even attempt. You have been warned!! There are three facets… …to the “Brexit was about tax avoidance” conspiracy theories. We have “Brexit was brought in after the EU introduced the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive”, “Brexiteers want to keep details of their tax avoidance schemes secret from the EU” and “Brexit is about protecting…

In terms of GDP, the UK leaving the EU is the equivalent of Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta all leaving in one go. In… …terms of proportionate economic loss, the impact on the EU of the UK leaving is greater than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaving the UK. We are 4 times the size of Switzerland which has no issues holding its own with the EU. We are twice the size of EFTA…

Sorry to repeat this, but since @DavidLammy has waded in, I thought it was worth an update to the “Brexit was about tax avoidance!” conspiracy theory. You know, “The referendum date was announced just after the EU announced the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive.” And… “…article 50 was invoked so that the UK would avoid the implementation of the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive in April 2019! You Brexiteers have all been conned!” Well, let’s leave aside the fact that the effective date was January 1st 2019 and see who’s being conned by…

Very boring thread!

By now, the “Brexit was about tax avoidance” conspiracy theorists mostly know they are peddling nonsense. However, what I perhaps haven’t articulated is that the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive contains the biggest impact on our tax avoidance… …rules the EU has ever had, and tax avoiding companies love it!  It’s already cost UK taxpayers £millions and if we stay in the EU it will probably continue to cost us £millions. You want to know what damage the Single Market has done to ordinary people? Read on.

@demmediablues @BaggieBaker69 I think that’s fair – to an extent. I certainly think it’s fair to welcome a United States of Europe – as I say, no viewpoint on your vision of our destiny should be castigated. I think it’s a far more sensible position than wanting EU membership but not a United States… @demmediablues @BaggieBaker69 …of Europe. It is not sensible to delineate the journey from the destination. I would say that Monnet gave up on France when as a nation state it had failed him – indeed nation states were failing across Europe…France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium…

Thread.  “Brexit was about tax avoidance!”, so the conspiracy theory goes. “The referendum was announced in 2013, just as the EU announced plans to tackle tax avoidance!!” “The referendum date was announced just after the EU announced the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive.” And… “…article 50 was invoked so the UK would avoid the implementation of the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive in 2019!  You Brexiteers have all been conned!” Well, let’s see who’s being conned by who. Here’s a timeline. The issue of “base erosion” (eroding your tax base) was first...

@blueunicornmoon @paulscottrobson @carolecadwalla @Arron_banks We've had CFC rules since 1984. The latest rules are in TIOPA 2010 9A. They used to be harsher, we used to impose CFC rules where applicable if an arrangement was motivated by tax avoidance. The ECJ ruled that we couldn't do that in Cadbury Schweppes vs HMRC. WPP actually... @blueunicornmoon @paulscottrobson @carolecadwalla @Arron_banks ...left the UK because of how tough our CFC rules were. Google if you don't believe me. If people think our CFC rules don't go far enough...chances are it's because of the ECJ, not because HMRC don't want them to. The principle of "wholly artificial" arrangements established...

@Droosaid @hannahjoinson1 @Idontmind64 @Shambles151 1, OK, I’m going to make an assumption that you’re a patient sort and so I’ll answer in full. Best place to start is the directive itself. Click on the attached.

 eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/… @Droosaid @hannahjoinson1 @Idontmind64 @Shambles151 2, Whizz through the preamble, but note in paragraph 1 and 2 the purpose of the ATAD, compliance with BEPS - this is important. Ignore the whole of Chapter I, start with Ch II, Article 4 – Interest Limitation rule – this is in UK legislation in TIOPA 2010 Part 10.