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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World

Keeping billionaires and the taxman happy

Sir Jim Ratcliffe
‘Jim Ratcliffe has some gall, living as he does in a tax-free monarchical haven in the south of France.’ Photograph: Bo Amstrup/EPA

I have a simple solution to help keep the super-rich happy with their tax bills while keeping their enormous wealth safely stored offshore and allowing them possibly to spend more time in the UK (Manchester United Muslim fans group calls on co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to quit, 19 September). They could insist that any company they earn their wealth from commits to paying all UK staff a decent living wage.

For this small compromise from the billionaires (who will still play the money markets and profit from others’ hard labour), the government could offer to reduce employers’ taxation costs by increasing the point at which low-paid people pay tax. Perhaps it could reduce national insurance payments for low-paid people, both employee and employer, thereby stopping the farce of the government paying income support to those on low incomes and then increasing taxation to fund it.

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