Sometimes laughter is the best medicine

(.) (.)

 

So, is that Legia finished with the whining and the greetin or is there another body they can go whining and greetin to?

 

No offence intended but the sooner Celtic are knocked out the champs league the better, then this madness will finally end.

 

CAS next then when that fails apparently they can take it to the Swiss courts. This isn't over, not by a long shot.

 

****in hell

 

The best story today is the Columbian lawyer who is suing FIFA for $800m because he had a heart attack, during the Brazil/Columbia game, which was caused by "bad refereeing"

 

If he came to Scotland he would need a defriblulator on permanent standby.

 

Aye but realistically he could only sue the SFA for half a bar of McCowan's Toffee and a tartan travel rug.

 

A settlement opportunity for employers who have used Employee Benefit Trusts (EBT) to avoid tax will close in March 2015, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced today.

The initiative, which launched in April 2011, has raised £800 million in tax and National Insurance Contributions from around 700 employers who previously used the trusts as tax avoidance vehicles.

HMRC expects others to settle in the near future and will pursue those who don’t do so through the courts as it does not believe that schemes using EBTs to avoid paying Income Tax and National Insurance work.

Some individuals seeking to use EBTs to avoid tax have tried to use the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility (LDF) – under which individuals with undeclared offshore assets can regularise their tax affairs – to find another route to pay less tax. HMRC and the Liechtenstein government have made changes to the LDF which, among other things, mean that users of EBTs that are caught by the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Scheme (DOTAS) rules cannot take advantage of the full terms of the facility. They should engage in the EBT settlement opportunity instead, while it is still available.

Jennie Granger, HMRC’s Director General of Enforcement and Compliance, said:

“Time is running out for anyone who used an EBT to avoid paying tax and still hasn’t settled with HMRC through the settlement opportunity.

“EBTs are avoidance vehicles and we will continue to pursue those who do not pay up. I would encourage all employers who have used these schemes to take this opportunity to settle under these clear terms. They can hold out and litigate, but they may well end up paying more tax, as well as big legal fees. They are also up against HMRC’s strong litigation record – we win around 80% of avoidance cases heard in the courts.

“This settlement opportunity is just one of a host of ways HMRC is tackling avoidance, not least Accelerated Payments which mean that many people who have avoided tax will now have to pay up quicker than ever before. This puts them on a level pegging with the vast majority of people who have nothing to do with tax avoidance and pay their tax up front.”

Notes for editors

1.* The EBT settlement opportunity was opened in 2011 following the introduction of the new Disguised Remuneration rules in Finance Act 2011. Users who wish to settle will need to have notified HMRC of their intention by 31 March 2015 and have entered the agreement and paid all amounts due by 31 July 2015. More information on the EBT settlement opportunity is available on HMRC’s website herehttp://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/employee-benefit-trusts.htm

2.* HMRC’s joint declaration with the Liechtenstein government today means that the full favourable terms of the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility (LDF) will no longer be available to users of EBT and other avoidance arrangements disclosed under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS). These users are still able to access the limited terms (immunity from prosecution and a bespoke service with a single point of HMRC contact) but will gain no financial advantage from settling under the LDF. Those EBTs wishing to settle will now need to consider which relevant settlement opportunity will suit their needs, but have a limited time to take advantage of the EBT Settlement Opportunity and should act now. More information on the LDF is available herehttp://www.hmrc.gov.uk/disclosure/liechtenstein-disclosure.htm

3.* HMRC has a number of tools at its disposal to tackle tax avoidance. These include Accelerated Payments powers introduced last month as part of the Finance Act. Under these powers, HMRC is able to seek upfront payments of disputed tax from members of avoidance schemes. The first Accelerated Payment notices are being sent out to avoidance scheme users this month.

4.* Follow HMRC’s press office on Twitter@HMRCpressoffice

5.* HMRC’s flickr channel*www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk

 

LEEDS UNITED were reinstated in the European Cup last night, and are expected to start all square in a third game with Stuttgart to decide which of the two teams will go through to the second round.

Leeds, eliminated on the away-goals rule on Wednesday night, owe their reprieve to a gaffe by the German champions totally out of keeping with their national reputation for efficiency. Stuttgart, who won the home leg 3-0 and were beaten 4-1 at Elland Road, lost the right to progress through Andreas Buck's away goal when it was revealed that they had fielded a fourth foreigner, contrary to the rules of the competition. Wednesday's result will almost certainly be declared invalid by Uefa, and Leeds awarded a 3-0 win - the score used in defaults - when the governing body of European football meets in Geneva tomorrow to confirm the results of inquiries which showed that Stuttgart had exceeded the three permitted foreigners by selecting Jovo Simanic, a defender from Belgrade. Such a ruling will leave the score 3-3 on aggregate, necessitating a third game to be played.

Simanic, a 27-year-old Yugoslav amateur, formerly of Partizan Belgrade, was sent on as an 82nd-minute substitute for the striker Maurizio Gaudino - just seconds after the Germans had introduced Switzerland's Adrian Knup. With Serbia's Slobodan Dubajic and Eyjolfur Sverrisson, of Iceland, on from the start, they finished the game with four 'non-nationals' on the field. Dieter Hoeness, Stuttgart's general manager, pleaded that putting on Simanic had been an oversight - an understandable one, perhaps, at a time when Leeds were threatening to overwhelm his team, but Uefa was having none of that. Having a fourth foreigner on the bench was in itself a breach of the rules, which in this case were unequivocal. Although the European ruling body could opt to disqualify the Germans, a Uefa spokesman said last night that Leeds could expect a third game, at a neutral venue, in which they would start all square.

Nigel Pleasants, the Leeds secretary, revealed that he had instigated the investigation which led to yesterday's turnabout, 'after hearing a rumour that Stuttgart had fielded an ineligible player'. He had checked the nationalities of the German squad and, on discovering the discrepancy, he had faxed Uefa 'for clarification'. Leeds were in ebullient mood, Stuttgart distraught. A third game was not good enough for Bill Fotherby, managing director at Elland Road, who said: 'Rules are rules, and we think Leeds should go straight into the next round.' Howard Wilkinson, the Leeds manager, echoed that sentiment. 'If we'd done what Stuttgart have I would expect to concede the tie,' he said. 'If this was the FA Cup and you had an ineligible player on your team sheet, you'd be thrown out. I cannot see how Uefa can do anything else than hand the tie to Leeds.'

 

Celtic must have known that the Poles cheated so decided to play **** on purpose ,why bother trying when you get a free pass to the next roond.?

 

This is true. That's why we played our B team.

 

Oh they knew right enough.

They all knew.

 

It was fixed. Huge bets went on Celtic after the first leg to go through.

Think about it. Two deliberate penalty misses, bring on an ineligible player then conveniently go through on away goals.

Obviously a betting scam.

 

You didn't know? Mick PM'd us and told us to put our life savings on it. We're all meeting up at Monica's place at the weekend.