Richard Brooks (9)

I picked this book up recently at Waterstones because recently I have developed an interest in economics and especially how money and politics mix around the world. Tax avoidance in the UK has become a really hot topic in recent years. With companies such as Amazon, Vodafone, Starbucks and Boots all being involved. I wanted to learn how these companies got away with avoiding truly massive sums of tax when the average person on the street is paying more tax than ever before.

The first chapter show more of the book gives a short history of taxation in the UK, how it came about and the attempts to end it. This is a very interesting subject and I learned a few things along the way. I had a general idea about how it came about but I didn't realise there had been several times when it had been suspended.

The rest of the book deals with different way that major multinational companies avoid paying tax. Tax avoidance is different from tax evasion, the latter being completely illegal, the former sitting in a kind of grey area. Some of these companies have effectively paid zero tax on profits, often in collusion with the HMRC (the tax office). It is hard not to feel extremely angry when reading about this as it is another case of the rich getting richer whilst everyone else suffers.

I found following the ways which companies do this a little bit tricky at times. I am sure the author has simplified things as much as possible but a few times I had to read and re-read sections a few times over. Despite this it is a book which flows well and remains interesting throughout. show less