Dutch taxpayer Bono took cue from Irish tax 'innovation'

[Apparatchik]

Bono has defended the decision by U2 to move part of the band's business from Ireland to the Netherlands to reduce his tax bill and the tax bill of the other band members. Bono was speaking at University College Cork, where he attended a meeting of the Irish Government's Hunger Task Force, of which he's a member. He said Ireland's prosperity had been achieved through tax innovation and it would be churlish to criticise U2 for being innovative in relation to their tax affairs when that's what people were encouraged to do and that's what made the country prosperous.
Just how was he encouraged to pay his tax in Holland and by whom? I've heard of fellas getting the wrong end of the stick...

[mollox]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

[Apparatchik]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

Strange answer...sounded like someone who has spent too much on PR advisors.....

[joel]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

Strange answer...sounded like someone who has spent too much on PR advisors.....

He's an odd character allright - always going on about the poor, the poor -yet he sticks his own money away!

[Kal-El]

I presume he meant we've used a low corporation tax rate to attract overseas companies so we shouldn't criticise an Irish company (U2) for being attracted to the tax regime in Holland.

[Binx]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

Strange answer...sounded like someone who has spent too much on PR advisors.....

He's an odd character allright - always going on about the poor, the poor -yet he sticks his own money away!

Eh, no. He bypasses the monetary black hole that is the Irish Public purse and puts his vast wealth to work in Third World countries. As far as i know he didn't pay himself for the band's 2005 tour. That said, he is still a bit of a prat.

[Apparatchik]

I presume he meant we've used a low corporation tax rate to attract overseas companies so we shouldn't criticise an Irish company (U2) for being attracted to the tax regime in Holland.

Bono as ever has a message for us all: Our culture is now so driven by greed and avarice that even its rock 'n' roll is debased.

[mollox]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

Strange answer...sounded like someone who has spent too much on PR advisors.....

He's an odd character allright - always going on about the poor, the poor -yet he sticks his own money away!

Despite my comment on his demeanour answering the tax question, I believe Bono has done, and continues to do, a great deal for the third world causes he espouses. Far more than the collective posters on p.ie, myself included, can ever hope to claim.
I don't blame him for allowing his accountants to make tax decisions on his behalf while, in fairness, he's devoting a huge amount of his own time and significant energy to good causes.
Let's keep the cynicism in check!

[qtman]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

Strange answer...sounded like someone who has spent too much on PR advisors.....

He's an odd character allright - always going on about the poor, the poor -yet he sticks his own money away!

Despite my comment on his demeanour answering the tax question, I believe Bono has done, and continues to do, a great deal for the third world causes he espouses. Far more than the collective posters on p.ie, myself included, can ever hope to claim.
I don't blame him for allowing his accountants to make tax decisions on his behalf while, in fairness, he's devoting a huge amount of his own time and significant energy to good causes.
Let's keep the cynicism in check!

That's a load of cr ap.

The guy was told when he was 24 that he would never have to work again.

He has enough money to pay his taxes in his home country. Its not as if we have high tax rates.

[Apparatchik]

I thought he looked somewhat irritated as he finished answering (?) that question and turned away from camera.

Strange answer...sounded like someone who has spent too much on PR advisors.....

He's an odd character allright - always going on about the poor, the poor -yet he sticks his own money away!

Despite my comment on his demeanour answering the tax question, I believe Bono has done, and continues to do, a great deal for the third world causes he espouses. Far more than the collective posters on p.ie, myself included, can ever hope to claim.
I don't blame him for allowing his accountants to make tax decisions on his behalf while, in fairness, he's devoting a huge amount of his own time and significant energy to good causes.
Let's keep the cynicism in check!

OK. But can he just lay off the po-faced guff? When they went into tax exile, old time rockers like Rod Stewart didn't spout off about being innovative in relation to their tax affairs (because they were encouraged to, and it was what made the country great etc.).