Interesting Links for 07-10-2015

[andrewducker]

• Reforms to the international tax system for curbing avoidance by multinational enterprises
  • (tags: tax )
• David Cameron is still wrong about tax credit cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says
  • (tags: TAX welfare davidcameron conservatives UK )
• Gay couple lose court fight for equal pension rights
  • (tags: pensions LGBT )
• How Two Guys Lost God and Found

Comments

[gwendysmile]

This is a note to myself to read that first article in more depth later.

But my first reaction is skepticism. Regulation of transfer pricing and double non-taxation would be wonderful, if possible. I don't think it's possible without a fully functioning, complete World Government. Because they're right to point out these losses affect developing countries in particular, and the reason they do that is because most of the developed economies in the countries this is being proposed to rely on exploiting those developing countries as tax havens. They have no real incentive to change that.

It's like, why isn't aid to Podunk working? Because for every $1 of aid we give the Grand Podunk Ministry, we deprive them of $10 through Faceless Inc. using the country to disappear its profits, and then we use stoppage of aid as blackmail to keep them from tightening up their rules.

[andrewducker]

Well, yes. We'd need to get rid of the immoral earnings while also giving them something moral to do to earn cash.

Otherwise you get stuff like:
http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/10/apple-google-microsoft-hold-more-than-336b-overseas-via-legal-tax-loopholes/

[gonzo21]

Hurrah for the European Court.

No wonder the Tories want us out of Europe. They'll never get away with transforming the UK into a Chinese-style fascist workplace while we're still protected by the European courts and legislations.

[nancylebov]

I wonder why there isn't more competition to offer loans to small businesses at better rates.

MacDoodle Street had a character who went into a mystical trance when he washed dishes.

[andrewducker]

I wondered that too. I assume that the number of businesses who never repay means that it's not worth it unless you charge a fortune.

[momentsmusicaux]

I find washing dishes rather relaxing, providing a) the draining board isn't stacked insanely already and b) there isn't a seemingly insurmountable pile. Though really, a pile is ok. It's when you have a horrible sprawl of random things you can't form into piles that it gets awful.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, washing up is one of those things that I never look forward to, but almost enjoy once I've got over the hump and actually started.

[ext_2864067]

Since it's a chore I got stuck with at home for years, I've never enjoyed it or found it relieving on any level since, and find it a serious effort of will to get it done.

[andrewducker]

Well, there is a reason we redesigned our kitchen largely so we could fit a dishwasher into it...

[fiddlingfrog]

FYI, the poem in that last item about English is called "The Chaos" by Gerard Nolst Trenité.