No surprise that Ronaldo faces a tax evasion charge. The news comes just after an enquiry reveals that the top 10% earners pay tax at a lower rate than the bottom 10%. No wonder the public services are struggling when it's left to the dwindling band of PAYEarners to pay their fair share.
i was chatting with my brother in law about this (he's a Real Madrid fan), and he did point out that while most footballers, in common with anyone who can afford an accountant, try to pay the minimum tax within the law, it's a bit unlikely he understands enough about finances to defraud the tax people. He may well have been told ' hay, we casn shift this bit to the cayman Islands, pay thsi bit in Guernsey, and open a couple of accounts in switzerland, and save x millions', and he said yes. Dis he? Who knows. was he told some of it crossed the lines into illegality? Who knows. If he got caught, it's right he should repay everything, with a large financial slap across the wrist. The problem is when money gets that big, it goes a bit beyond what most of us can manage, and accountants are accountable to no one.
As long as it's legal, accountant's first priority is to make money, and getting a client like Ronaldo is like winning the lottery. But the sportsman has a choice. Andy Murray chose to stay in Britain and pay taxes here, Kyle Edmond chose to pay his taxes in Monaco as soon as he started to make money, Same with Lewis Hamilton. There is a culture of avoiding taxes if you can, whether it's the top earners, builders, or people who pay the builders in cash. And it's got to such a scale now that it must be having an impact on public services. I don't know by how much, but in Japan it is considered shameful not to make your contribution, not clever like it is here.
Aside from football and a few news and documentary programmes, I don't watch TV anymore. This morning I was reminded why; Ant & Dec, Strictly and all the other usual suspects won National Television Awards for the nth time. Celebrating mediocrity
Just seen a party political broadcast by the lib dems - remember them? Wet claptrap and wittering hypocrisy of the highest order They wouldn't know a majority if they fell over it, "wafer thin" or not...
I saw an amazing stat, which summed up the SPL. Celtic have a turnover of £110m per year, with a wage bill of £61m. Hibernian's in comparison is £8m and £4m Rangers are contributing £35,000 a week to Jermaine Defoe's wages. Killie's Steve Clarke says less than £30,000 a week is his weekly salary budget for his entire squad.
Yes, and you know who is to blame for that? The fans who turn their backs on their local team to support the Ugly Sisters because of religious allegiance. Including from Ireland to support Celtic and Northern Ireland to support Rangers.
