TAXTOPIA: How I Discovered the Injustices, Scams and Guilty Secrets of the Tax Evasion Game

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To not just combat tax dodging, but wipe out the tax unfairness that aids it, perhaps the Rebel Accountant is onto something.

All kinds of firms are involved in this duel with HMRC, he says. “You get specialist one- and two-man operations that spring up and go: ‘Here’s some clever way of avoiding stamp duty land tax.’ But on the industrial scale, you get large firms advising their clients in very lawful ways how to pay less tax.” Even though the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted a new Economic Crime Bill which will supposedly require full disclosure of property ownership, there are (the usual) loopholes. When it comes to the accountants and lawyers who help evaders, the number of them facing justice is even lower – with just eight cases being prosecuted in the past two years, it was disclosed this month. The rebel is unsurprised by this. “No accountant or lawyer is going to advise a client to do something illegal, at least no legitimate one,” he says.

Finally we get an analysis of Universal Credit, lambasting the fact that someone on UC who gets a job loses 55% of his benefit, so is effectively paying a 55% tax rate, while a millionaire accountancy partner is paying a 51% rate. The Taxtopia Solution Effectively the richer you are the more you get to decide whether you’d rather pay tax or give to charity (or in some cases neither).”

The book is enormously readable … I would very much recommend reading Taxtopia because it’s the most hilarious book about tax I’ve ever read!’–Siân Pattenden, The BunkerAnd did you know that the likes of Elon Musk pay no income tax? That’s because they use borrowings, not salary, to fund their lives. In death, the borrowings simply reduce the estate left to heirs – cutting the tax bill. The book is enormously readable ... I would very much recommend reading Taxtopia because it's the most hilarious book about tax I've ever read!' - Sian Pattenden, The Bunker On the Profile tab, add information collaborators may find helpful, like your expertise, interests, or experience. Cheryl Tweedy: The former Girls Aloud singer’s personal firm was told to pay HMRC a large bill after a judge ruled last year that it was wrong in paying capital gains tax, rather than income tax and national insurance. So much for the new money – the old money is at it too! The entire value of agricultural land is exempt from inheritance tax, as is “business” property, which potentially exempts our richest landowners from the tax ordinary