Writing for City A.M. today, I said that we need comprehensive tax simplification from politicians, not more hot air:
THE Public Accounts Committee offered about as much to the debate on tax avoidance yesterday as a hot air balloon offers transport. No clear direction, not a lot of movement, but a lot of hot air.
Instead of a critical dissection of how the system works, and an examination of what might be done to fix any problems, the committee’s chair Margaret Hodge railed angrily against companies like Google operating under the law as it stands, rather than by using her understanding of “common sense”. That’s no substitute for the serious reform we need if we want a tax code that’s fit for purpose.