Call to boycott U2's new albumn and remove their Passports

[myk]

...according to today's Irish Times, Bono removed all of U2 inc from Ireland and now are domiciled in Netherlands.

If what you say also were to be true, why does Bono feel the needto have to reply with a piece in tommorow's Times, defending this?

the article clearly said that they moved a royalties company off-shore, it mentions nothing about the band members' own personal tax residence status.

[COMMIE]

If you google debt and development ireland you will get the link on google

[islands]

would anyone here not claim tax relief that they are entitled too because they think that paying tax is the noble thing to do?

But they're not just "claiming tax relief", though. They're paying lots of accountants and lawyers lots of money, setting up complex structures to make sure they pay as little tax as possible
and at the same time
preaching to governments about how to spend their tax revenue.

[goosebump]

Sounds to me like you want the whole country to blow their collective brains out by criminalising our best and brightest and most successful talents?

I've no problem with artists being tax exempt or funnelling their earnings through other countries.

I do have a problem with artists engaging in sophisticated tax avoidance schemes and preaching to others about social justice.

[IrishConservative]

"would anyone here not claim tax relief that they are entitled too because they think that paying tax is the noble thing to do?"

Unfortunately this is the one of the truest statements i have read about the current mentality of ireland and its inhabitiants.

Everyone will dodge tax regardless if its 15 pound or 150 million !!!

[myk]

"would anyone here not claim tax relief that they are entitled too because they think that paying tax is the noble thing to do?"

Unfortunately this is the one of the truest statements i have read about the current mentality of ireland and its inhabitiants.

Everyone will dodge tax regardless if its 15 pound or 150 million !!!

there is a big difference between "dodging" tax and minimising your tax bill?

is someone claim tax relief on their medical expenses dodging tax?

[iartaoiseach]

perhaps the lads take the money that they don't pay it in tax and give it directly to charities in both Ireland and the developing world.

if I had a million euro and wanted to do something for the less well off with it, I would not give it to the Irish government!

you are assuming that charities are using money wisely. there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that this is not the case. John O'Shea is quite vocal on this.

[Mazzy Maz]

Everyone will dodge tax regardless if its 15 pound or 150 million !!!

That's not really the issue here tough, is it? It's Bono's perceived hypocrisy.

[myk]

But they're not just "claiming tax relief", though. They're paying lots of accountants and lawyers lots of money, setting up complex structures to make sure they pay as little tax as possible
and at the same time
preaching to governments about how to spend their tax revenue.

why should U2's royalty company be based in Ireland rather than the US or the Netherlands?

[islands]

Unfortunately this is the one of the truest statements i have read about the current mentality of ireland and its inhabitiants.

It is really unfortunate, IrishConservative. You're right. We really need to get our heads around the idea that tax is the common kitty of money we need in order to make the country the sort of place we want to live in. We seem to have stopped connecting it with hospitals and trollies etc