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The Great Tax Robbery: How Britain Became A Tax Haven For Fat Cats And Big Business by Brooks. Richard ( 2013 ) Paperback Paperback

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Oneworld Publications
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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GOHAWH4

Customer Reviews:
85 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		66%
4 star		23%
3 star		4%
2 star		3%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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paul sweeney

Will make you very angry

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2013

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Even tho I am not a UK taxpayer, this book made me very angry. It essentially shows how the UK establishment, including some in the Revenue, are colluding with tax-avoiding companies, thinking they are helping business. Over-enthusiastic to to the point of naivety in trying to be "pro business," like the de-regulators of banking of recent times, they are in fact undermining many good firms by tilting the playing field, and undermining the tax base at the same time.
The professions, accountants and lawyers do not come out very well either, nor do the politicians.
A must-read not just for those interested in business and economics, but for concerned citizens everywhere.
Brooks has made a powerful wake-up call for taxpayers everywhere

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J. P. Chapman

very good read - it opened my eyes to how the very rich and corporates have cheated society this century.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2014

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very good read - it opened my eyes to how the very rich and corporates have cheated society this century.

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2015

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A "must read" for tax specialists and non-tax specialists alike

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2013

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In all fairness I've only just started to read it but what I've seen so far it's up to expectations.

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S Wood

We're All in it Together My Arse

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2013

While the coalition and their fellow travellers in the media hark on about structural deficits, the necessity of reforming (read: destroying) the already emaciated welfare state, and how over-taxing those poor souls earning £150K+ a year will bring ruin to the country, former tax inspector for Her Majesties Revenues & Customs (HMRC) and current Private Eye reporter Richard Brooks has been looking into the issue of taxation, in particular the levels of tax dodging by big, usually transnational business and obscenely rich individuals. The results of his investigations, informed by years of experience in Government, are collated together in "The Great Tax Robbery" and make extremely disturbing reading.

The opening chapter "Welcome to Tax Dodge City" with its series of graphs makes clear the dimensions of the problem, such as that during dozen years leading up to 2011 corporate profits have went up by over 50% but corporation tax receipts have been flat (and at a rate well below the headline rate of corporation tax). Over the same period the amount of corporation tax paid by small companies has increased from 15% of the total to 35% to the benefit of big (largely transnational) business. It also details the complete lack of correlation between tax rates and economic growth over time (in the UK) and across the OECD: in short the oft repeated canard that taxation will bring the economy to a grinding halt is to put it politely horses***.

The book goes on to explore how big business and wealthy individuals go about dodging taxation and looks into the four major accountancy firms which promote and arrange tax dodging (at the same time as profiting from government contracts); how the Public Private Partnerships, heartily embraced by the Blair/Brown government, have become a tax dodgers wet dream; the cosy relationship that grew up between HMRC and large business during the Blair era; how transfer pricing works; the links between the City of London and politicians from all parties, for instance 6 of the top 10 Tory donors make/made their money in the City; the fraudulent nature of coalition claims to be cracking down on tax dodging when in fact the exact opposite is happening; how the current tax regime warp the economy and privilege large corporations and the obscenely wealthy over smaller generally local businesses and ordinary working people.

One of the most disturbing revelations is the fact that individuals from companies that are clearly dodging taxes are being placed in positions to influence, if not write, new tax law and regulations. In a half way civilised society the facts revealed within would be a major and on-going scandal, instead we have occasional reporting that gives little idea of the whole picture. But what else can be expected from a media industry which is a member of the tax dodging fraternity itself?

Brooks puts the facts before the reader in a straightforward readable prose that is often dryly amusing, and has done well to describe the methods used by tax dodgers such as transfer pricing in a way that is comprehensible to the general reader. He also draws on a rich range of real world examples to illustrate his arguments. Overall this is a book I can hardly praise enough, one that deserves as wide a readership as possible and is indispensable to anyone interested in social justice or even just basic sense of decency. 110% Recommended.

An excellent companion volume to this book would be Nicholas Shasxson's Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men who Stole the World .

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Top reviews from other countries

Jeff Kaye

Excellent book on a sorry tale of UK Government collusion to reduce the UK tax take

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2017

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Excellent book and easy to read.

This is a book that anyone interested in the spiriting of vast sums from poorer counties or simply from the poor even in the UK should read. Billions of £'s disappear each year - the subject of profits or income that should be taxed that are not because (a) the laws are slack (b) HMRC is disinterested and ill-equipped because of poorly educated staff or cutbacks (c) governments are in thrall to business and scared stiff that any change to tax laws or to the proper imposition of existing laws will make them leave the country - even when to "leave" usually means no more than a few head office staff and some accountants and lawyers (d) illegalities.

Governments (whether Tory or Labour) have been transfixed by the desire to placate big business (small companies are badly treated as are medium wealth income tax payers as are those on benefits) because they are go to the same schools, speak the same language, jobs are available after politics or the civil service on company boards or in advisory businesses, the accountants and lawyers (whether in businesses being taxed or as advisors) are too high quality for those in government to deal with.

This is a depressing saga, made worse by years of neglect or stupidity or outright collaboration of government and its departments not just in the UK but on a worldwide scale. The short section on how to fix this needs much more colour and elaboration. No doubt that Brexit and Trump and the massive inequality of wealth are due in a large way to the results of many years (from the 19th Century) of despoliation of proper tax laws and collection. This book explains it well in a UK context but more from those like Richard Brookes, Richard Murphy and the Tax Justice Network is needed to make even a scratch on the teflon surface of this sorry tale.

3 people found this helpful

GrahamM5

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2017

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An excellent analysis of a complex issue. It is an indictment of successive British governments and HMRC. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to know about this scandalous situation.

2 people found this helpful

Mohammed Akhtar

Details the corruption of and relationships between government, tax inspectors and business

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2019

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Somewhat ironic to have purchased this book on Amazon considering its content but it is an extremely important and informative book.

A must read if you have been wondering how corporations and individuals have been able to engage in blatant corruption for so long.

2 people found this helpful

JR Pilley

An important and timely book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2020

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This book was a revelation to me. The scale and flair of Tax Avoidance was breath taking. As a PAYE tax payer, to learn that the very wealthiest companies and institutions engineer their affairs to avoid their public responsibility is completely astonishing

Robster

Very nice read that gives a clear and readable account of ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2017

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Very nice read that gives a clear and readable account of one mans take on the red carpet the UK has laid out for corporates vs individuals

One person found this helpful

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