Greece.......What a mess they are in

Christine Legarde, head of the IMF, said that she had no sympathy for the Greeks compared to the starving children of Africa, and that they should start paying their taxes.

Some of those who did have money seem to have moved to London to carry on the tradition....

I don't know enough to have a strong opinion, just reporting.

On radio 2 Jeremy Vine show they were discussing the comedian Jimmy Carr and his tax status. I always thought he had Socialist tendencies and therefor would wish to pay 90% Income tax. Seems reality maybe diffrerent. It was suggested that he paid little or no tax and this was done legally using i believe K2 methods, whatever they are.

Greece has had high tax rates BUT NOBODY seems to pay tax hence the country is in trouble. one aspect i heard was that there is a tax for swimming pools. Apparently nobody in greece has a swimming pool so nobody pays the tax. The govt flew over parts of greece and counted swimming pools. The non tax payers then had pools covered with a synthetic type grass mat to look like a lawn. if the whole country goes to that level of avoidance well SHIT CREEK HERE WE COME.

Also our former Prime Minister allegedly earned 12 million in a tax year and paid tax of 350K. So again we have a Socialist Leader happy to pay his desired 90% rate.

Ho Hum what do i know. I never earned enough to be able to afford Robbing Bastards and Associates Tax Avoidance specialist  Accountants.

David

> What are your views?

I didn't expect them to beat the Russians, which only goes to show when the chips are down they find a way to pull through. Yes they do have a boring football team, but there are some very nice people in Greece and I really hope they can pull through. 

I didn't know that, backfromoz - I mean the bit about Jimmy Carr being a comedian: I always wondered what he did - laugh I thought I'd never start. 

I guess nobody likes paying taxes, especially if you see what the council round here wastes them on - very nice council offices though, look at a bit like the Ritz. I remember Mrs Fawkes trying to get a job there: they said "Are you a gossip?", she said "No", they said, "Do you drink lots of coffee", she said "No", they said "OK you've got the job and you start at 10.30 tomorrow", she said "I thought it was 8.30 start", they said "Yes, it is, but no point you coming in until 10.30, as the first two hours are us standing around gossiping and drinking coffee". I'm so glad I pay my taxes. 

Yes, public sector workers never work, we all know that.

I would have thought the UK relevance for Greece would have been the way our superbly-run banking sector didn't have to be bailed out by the government/taxpayer.

Sorry, did have.

Wow breaking news fatcats not paying income tax. Jeez what next, it gets dark at night (in most places)?

> Yes, public sector workers never work, we all know that.

I don't agree - lots do a great job, just not the ones in new £ multi-million office around here - we have been on Panorama so it must be true. 

BTW it doesn't get that dark at night around here at the moment, but I don't think that is anything to do with the council. 

Mind you in the next town along they turn out all the street lights to save money

At least we haven't done that in the village or we'd have to light bonfires to see the way and I don't like bonfires.

Nonetheless, I really hope Greece can get sorted out ... it can't be easy for them.  

If you're talking about the former warmongering UK Prime Minister (or Jimmy Carr), then I think you'll find that no, they didn't pay 90% tax. They avoided it (as does everyone else in the country) because we don't have a 90% tax rate - not even for Bob Diamond.

By the way, public sector workers (I am not one BTW) are tax payers too - I wish people would remember that. Can't speak for the Greeks though.

> If you're talking about the former warmongering UK Prime Minister 

Is that Mrs T? ... I'm losing the track of this debate.

I think lots of council workers do a great job, just not the ones in the luxury office accommodation who make the decisions on what to spend money on in this neck of the woods such as the decision to build a cycle path next to a cycle path to fulfil the target of having so many miles of cycle paths.

I bet they wouldn't waste money like that in Greece. 

What is happening is Greece looks like becoming a cheap place for holiday so hopefully people will take advantage and inject some much needed cash in to its economy. 

I'm not sure I'd feel safe booking a holiday a few months in advance. The place is just too unstable for me to risk it, and if an airport goes bust, for example, I could be stuck on a small island waiting to be rescued while losing my job. 

Once Greece is on the up again it'll be worth visiting, but I'll be back into the carbon cycle by then.

Tony

There are so many to choose from Guido... it's easy to lose track

People should pay their fair share in taxes although nobody likes doing that. However I suspect there are plenty of folk much wealthier than Jimmy Carr who are also drastically underpaying. Maybe Mr Cameron should be addressing them too. Or maybe that would be a bit too close to home for him.

 ..."they said "Are you a gossip?", she said "No", they said, "Do you drink lots of coffee", she said "No", they said "OK you've got the job and you start at 10.30 tomorrow", she said "I thought it was 8.30 start", they said "Yes, it is, but no point you coming in until 10.30, as the first two hours are us standing around gossiping and drinking coffee"

Guido,that's a nice joke.That's the same I heard in Italy...

I know Greek State used to pay two generations old pensions...maybe this is not enough to explain this economic situation,but, imho,I disagree. 

Guido - apologies if you missed my sledgehammer irony above re public sector workers. I know many, of course, and they work hard and pay taxes.

I see Jimmy Carr has seen the error of his ways, but I agree he'll never make a comedian - nor sort out Greece's problems.

Well Tom, most of them are his mates, so I guess you're right...

And it could be even worse if you'd managed to get to Greece.

Funny.

Adam you have been missed man.

Stu.