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Taxtopia: How I Discovered the Injustices, Scams and Guilty Secrets of the Tax Evasion Game
In TAXTOPIA a rogue accountant breaks ranks to share his journey from clueless naïf to skilled tax consultant -and in doing so blows the lid on the murky world of making the tax burdens of the ultra-wealthy disappear.
In the topsy-turvy world of tax avoidance, you can get richer by buying a yacht, the world's biggest exporter of coffee is Switzerland, and billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump and the Duke of Westminster often pay less tax than you do.
Written with sharp wit and over-brimming with inside secrets, the anonymous author shows us that not only does the global tax system encourage dubious practice which favours the rich, but that it was specifically founded with that in mind.
If you suspect that tax is a rigged game, a con, designed to fleece the little guy, you are about to find out just how shockingly true that really is.
Welcome to TAXTOPIA.
In the topsy-turvy world of tax avoidance, you can get richer by buying a yacht, the world's biggest exporter of coffee is Switzerland, and billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump and the Duke of Westminster often pay less tax than you do.
Written with sharp wit and over-brimming with inside secrets, the anonymous author shows us that not only does the global tax system encourage dubious practice which favours the rich, but that it was specifically founded with that in mind.
If you suspect that tax is a rigged game, a con, designed to fleece the little guy, you are about to find out just how shockingly true that really is.
Welcome to TAXTOPIA.
351 pages, Hardcover
Published March 30, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 31, 2023
Tax is one of those things that I have paid since I started working many many years ago. Every month without fail the PAYE pops its head up and snaffles a chuck of the money that I have earnt that month. I am not unhappy about it, it has after all paid for my three children to be educated at minimal cost to me, pays for the roads that I drive on and paid for the ongoing treatment that Sarah has had for cancer.
It is something that I am happy to pay for as I know that it has wider benefits for society as well as myself. There are a number of people though who want to enjoy similar benefits as I do. These people are often wealthy and regardless of the way that they have accumulated their money, do not want to be encumbered with taxation. If they are in that tiny group of people who are so mind-bogglingly rich that they are often very reluctant to part with any of their money at all.
The Rebel Accountant has been one of the professionals who has helped this class of people evade and avoid anything that looks like a tax. So much so that someone with vast sums can often pay much less tax than you do in a year. They do this in several ways, firstly by employing clever people to find the loopholes that in the extremely complex tax systems, secondly but just not bothering and most infuriatingly, they gamed the systems to ensure that the people who have to pay taxes are you and me and not them.
I think that was his intention for those reading this book to be made very angry. And having read it I can confirm that it does. The entire taxation system is utterly broken and it isn’t helped by the endemic corruption of our political system that helps those with money get more and keep more. This will be at the expense of our society too if steps are not taken to address it. Even given the subject matter, it is quite an entertaining read; he is that rarest of people, an accountant with a bone-dry sense of humour. There was never a point when he ventured into the arcane depth of tax law, rather it was kept at a level that almost everyone would be able to understand. Don’t read this and weep, read this and start to put pressure on our political leaders.
It is something that I am happy to pay for as I know that it has wider benefits for society as well as myself. There are a number of people though who want to enjoy similar benefits as I do. These people are often wealthy and regardless of the way that they have accumulated their money, do not want to be encumbered with taxation. If they are in that tiny group of people who are so mind-bogglingly rich that they are often very reluctant to part with any of their money at all.
The Rebel Accountant has been one of the professionals who has helped this class of people evade and avoid anything that looks like a tax. So much so that someone with vast sums can often pay much less tax than you do in a year. They do this in several ways, firstly by employing clever people to find the loopholes that in the extremely complex tax systems, secondly but just not bothering and most infuriatingly, they gamed the systems to ensure that the people who have to pay taxes are you and me and not them.
I think that was his intention for those reading this book to be made very angry. And having read it I can confirm that it does. The entire taxation system is utterly broken and it isn’t helped by the endemic corruption of our political system that helps those with money get more and keep more. This will be at the expense of our society too if steps are not taken to address it. Even given the subject matter, it is quite an entertaining read; he is that rarest of people, an accountant with a bone-dry sense of humour. There was never a point when he ventured into the arcane depth of tax law, rather it was kept at a level that almost everyone would be able to understand. Don’t read this and weep, read this and start to put pressure on our political leaders.
November 20, 2023
Very interesting book. It will make you laugh at some points, but mostly, it will make you feel discuss and outrage against the current tax system employed in most western countries. The system is full not of “loopholes”, but of intentional tax-breaks laws designed for the rich.
If you want just one example, take Rishi Sunaks wife, which avoids at least 20 million in taxes by claiming “non-domicile” status, which she can do by paying a “small” fee of 30 thousand. All of this is “legal”, so no loophole here.
If you want just one example, take Rishi Sunaks wife, which avoids at least 20 million in taxes by claiming “non-domicile” status, which she can do by paying a “small” fee of 30 thousand. All of this is “legal”, so no loophole here.
May 31, 2024
This book is both thought-provoking and funny. It's difficult to write an accounting page-turner but this is a valiant effort. The author intermingles tax evasion strategies with his rise in the industry. There's too much about him in sections and I found myself wanting to return to the main thread. I'd prefer a more serious tome, and it's a serious topic, which to be fair the author treats seriously, just injecting plenty of humour too. I'm sure there will be a sequel (in the new tax year).
August 5, 2024
If you have a career in accounting, you will enjoy this book. The anonymous author—the Rebel Accountant—is British and has a good sense of humor. Many of his stories of working in public accounting will resonate with you, especially what he says about timesheets:
"…you have to fill in timesheets. …what did you do between 10:06am and 10:12am last Tuesday? And the six minutes after that? And after that? Imagine this is your life. …Would it lead you to cheat? …timesheets bore little resemblance to what our clients got charged. …Timesheets are a genuine opportunity for a little creativity."
There are a lot of great examples of tax avoidance (legal) strategies deployed by wealthy people, some are quite famous. There’s also some tax evasion (illegal), such as the “carousel frauds,” elaborate VAT tax scams. You’ll learn that salesman of yachts don’t get the crew bedrooms as rooms, usually one-half or so of total rooms, because “these rich bastards don’t care where the crew sleep.” You’ll learn that “punishable by a fine means legal for a price.” I agree with him that R&D tax credit fees paid to accountants are an “absolute racket.”
All that said, there are many things I disagree with the author when it comes to tax policy. He admits in the Notes that he’s not an economist, and it shows. Economists own tax policy, not CPAs, despite the number of reports he’s read on tax reform by Big 4 partners. Has he ever read any by economists who study tax policy? There’s many out there. We don’t need more CPAs in Congress, we need more economists who understand that taxation contains the power to destroy. The Laffer curve is true, but you wouldn’t know it reading this work (it’s even disparaged early on as drunk scribbling on dinner napkins). There are no economists cited in the book (maybe Adam Smith was), which is a glaring hole in a book about taxes.
The author believes that “accountants are cheating the system to ensure that their clients, people with serious money, are paying a lot less tax than they should be.” Ok, but what is should be? Is there any limiting principle? Should it be 100% beyond, say, $100,000 per year income? If not, why not? If there is a limiting principle, then you have validated the Laffer Curve.
At least he understands what a corporation is: “allows strangers to pool their resources to embark on a common endeavor.” Also, that corporations don’t pay taxes. (Yes! I’ve met CPAs who don’t understand this point).
In the last chapter he lays out his vision of Taxtopia, which contains no corporation income taxes (since corporations don’t pay tax; only people do):
1. A universal tax you pay when you get richer
2. A sales tax based on the harms caused by the products we buy
3. A withholding tax to stop offshoring wealth
Call #1 a wealth tax, #2 a sales tax, or whatever else you want to call it, but all taxes are income taxes, because that’s the only place the money comes from to pay them.
His No Value Added Tax would be an incredibly complex—and highly political—tax to deploy. Who decides which goods and services are harmful? Value is subjective, see the Austrian school of economics and Marginalism. You think the 2 million word USA tax code is complex now, just try a NVAT.
A flat tax has laid out by Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka, Steve Forbes, Dick Armey, Arthur Laffer, among others, is a much better idea. If it contained a personal exemption, it would be a progressive tax, just not graduated, a distinction the author never speaks of.
I do agree when he writes:
"The conclusion I came to was that almost all jobs in tax shouldn’t really exist. There’s no need for the complexity, for the endless forms and years of exams. Taxation shouldn’t be something that it’s possible to be an expert in. It shouldn’t be something that requires analysis, or planning. It should all be, well, simple."
It's an enormous waste of human capital. The problem is, his fix isn’t simple, while the flat tax is. He should pin the problem where it belongs: on legislatures. They like complexity, accountants do, too, but they don’t write the tax laws, nor have much influence on them. I used to think a flat tax was possible, but I no longer do. Congress will never give up the power to socially engineer the economy, and play Nanny over people’s lives, unless we get more enlightened leaders (Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan come to mind). Disagreements aside, this was an enjoyable read.
"…you have to fill in timesheets. …what did you do between 10:06am and 10:12am last Tuesday? And the six minutes after that? And after that? Imagine this is your life. …Would it lead you to cheat? …timesheets bore little resemblance to what our clients got charged. …Timesheets are a genuine opportunity for a little creativity."
There are a lot of great examples of tax avoidance (legal) strategies deployed by wealthy people, some are quite famous. There’s also some tax evasion (illegal), such as the “carousel frauds,” elaborate VAT tax scams. You’ll learn that salesman of yachts don’t get the crew bedrooms as rooms, usually one-half or so of total rooms, because “these rich bastards don’t care where the crew sleep.” You’ll learn that “punishable by a fine means legal for a price.” I agree with him that R&D tax credit fees paid to accountants are an “absolute racket.”
All that said, there are many things I disagree with the author when it comes to tax policy. He admits in the Notes that he’s not an economist, and it shows. Economists own tax policy, not CPAs, despite the number of reports he’s read on tax reform by Big 4 partners. Has he ever read any by economists who study tax policy? There’s many out there. We don’t need more CPAs in Congress, we need more economists who understand that taxation contains the power to destroy. The Laffer curve is true, but you wouldn’t know it reading this work (it’s even disparaged early on as drunk scribbling on dinner napkins). There are no economists cited in the book (maybe Adam Smith was), which is a glaring hole in a book about taxes.
The author believes that “accountants are cheating the system to ensure that their clients, people with serious money, are paying a lot less tax than they should be.” Ok, but what is should be? Is there any limiting principle? Should it be 100% beyond, say, $100,000 per year income? If not, why not? If there is a limiting principle, then you have validated the Laffer Curve.
At least he understands what a corporation is: “allows strangers to pool their resources to embark on a common endeavor.” Also, that corporations don’t pay taxes. (Yes! I’ve met CPAs who don’t understand this point).
In the last chapter he lays out his vision of Taxtopia, which contains no corporation income taxes (since corporations don’t pay tax; only people do):
1. A universal tax you pay when you get richer
2. A sales tax based on the harms caused by the products we buy
3. A withholding tax to stop offshoring wealth
Call #1 a wealth tax, #2 a sales tax, or whatever else you want to call it, but all taxes are income taxes, because that’s the only place the money comes from to pay them.
His No Value Added Tax would be an incredibly complex—and highly political—tax to deploy. Who decides which goods and services are harmful? Value is subjective, see the Austrian school of economics and Marginalism. You think the 2 million word USA tax code is complex now, just try a NVAT.
A flat tax has laid out by Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka, Steve Forbes, Dick Armey, Arthur Laffer, among others, is a much better idea. If it contained a personal exemption, it would be a progressive tax, just not graduated, a distinction the author never speaks of.
I do agree when he writes:
"The conclusion I came to was that almost all jobs in tax shouldn’t really exist. There’s no need for the complexity, for the endless forms and years of exams. Taxation shouldn’t be something that it’s possible to be an expert in. It shouldn’t be something that requires analysis, or planning. It should all be, well, simple."
It's an enormous waste of human capital. The problem is, his fix isn’t simple, while the flat tax is. He should pin the problem where it belongs: on legislatures. They like complexity, accountants do, too, but they don’t write the tax laws, nor have much influence on them. I used to think a flat tax was possible, but I no longer do. Congress will never give up the power to socially engineer the economy, and play Nanny over people’s lives, unless we get more enlightened leaders (Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan come to mind). Disagreements aside, this was an enjoyable read.
July 29, 2024
This should be a mandatory read for anyone that likes to understand the world. I don't know how valuable such a book could be for someone that already knows about taxes, but for me it's probably the first time I think about this utterly boring thing.
It's a very engaging book. It's a kind of a memoir filled with jokes, which also explains taxes. But really well blended together. The big point of the book is that taxes are paid by poor people, the well to do simply pay accountants to find loopholes. Eg: moving your wealth off shore by being a non resident, using VAT carousel, etc.
It's a very engaging book. It's a kind of a memoir filled with jokes, which also explains taxes. But really well blended together. The big point of the book is that taxes are paid by poor people, the well to do simply pay accountants to find loopholes. Eg: moving your wealth off shore by being a non resident, using VAT carousel, etc.
August 2, 2023
Very good read. A bit dramatic at times in the aim to create controversy, but for someone who works in tax, its not as theatrical as "the rebel accountant" is making it out to be. Although maybe it is?
June 27, 2024
Who knew there could be an interesting book about tax! The anonymous (why?) author describes his years as a tax consultant in various, sometimes very shady, tax organisations focused on reducing client’s tax liabilities. Sometimes fairly, sometimes dubiously. The book ends with his suggestions as to how the tax system could be changed to be less complex and fairer. It will never happen!!!
December 3, 2024
As an accountant myself I found it relatable at times but liked the humour and entertainment the most. The writer shares a lot of personal life stories and style is lighthearted which makes it fun read even for non financial audience
March 17, 2024
Absolutt ikke dum. Ty for anbefaling James
April 3, 2024
As a junior accountant (though not in tax), I particularly enjoyed Taxtopia and learning about all the different ways the wealthy hide tax as well as the really interesting suggestions by the author as to how to make a fairer tax system. Definitely worth a read
July 21, 2024
If you get over the slightly cringey style and his witticisms, it’s a fantastic book. I couldn’t put it down. Very digestible and easy to read.
July 4, 2024
Very entertaining. Sincerely hope that the Rebel Accountant would consider comedy as his next profession. Full of truthful observations about what a career in tax advice entails (which I can attest in light of my brief stint in tax).
July 16, 2024
Interesting book on tax systems and how if your rich enough you pay less tax as well as plenty of this isn't fair moments.
Couple of high profile cases were mentioned, as well as how much tax isn't being collected that could be put to use funding the NHS etc.
"You can get richer by buying a yacht, and billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump and the Duke of Westminster often pay less tax than you do."
Couple of high profile cases were mentioned, as well as how much tax isn't being collected that could be put to use funding the NHS etc.
"You can get richer by buying a yacht, and billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump and the Duke of Westminster often pay less tax than you do."
September 13, 2024
Quite enlightening, in a way that shows in detail how many of the sayings about "they pay no taxes" are actually true, and how they work. Worldwide tax systems are overly complicated and extremely inefficient, which tends to harm the individual consumer disproportionately. Also, I was reminded that I was due a big chunk of tax returns from HMRC, so that's alright!
February 26, 2024
Loving the book.
Incredibly informative, humorous and the author has a real skill at making a rather dull topic interesting. Fortunately it is relevant to my job so I am already dull and interested in tax but even the lay person would enjoy I feel. The author sensibly hits upon some high profile celebrities and big well, known companies to highlight their tax scandals and how it worked which makes for good reading and nice to drop into conversation.
Author clearly exceptionally bright but also very witty. Will be sad for the book to end.
Incredibly informative, humorous and the author has a real skill at making a rather dull topic interesting. Fortunately it is relevant to my job so I am already dull and interested in tax but even the lay person would enjoy I feel. The author sensibly hits upon some high profile celebrities and big well, known companies to highlight their tax scandals and how it worked which makes for good reading and nice to drop into conversation.
Author clearly exceptionally bright but also very witty. Will be sad for the book to end.
May 14, 2024
Very interesting
August 13, 2024
Tax, something that in all honesty really bores me. But The Rebel Accountant somehow makes the subject come alive.
It's also semi-biographical and details how he became an accountant and all the tricks of the trade. Before detailing some of the schemes the rich and powerful use to avoid paying tax. Really pleasantly surprised by this book
It's also semi-biographical and details how he became an accountant and all the tricks of the trade. Before detailing some of the schemes the rich and powerful use to avoid paying tax. Really pleasantly surprised by this book
December 2, 2023
The author tries to position this book at a common reader, but frankly I think accountants get the most out of this book. I really enjoyed the factual aspects and the researched stories. But the end bit of recommendations for improvements of the tax system is just wishful thinking. I did feel like the book really bagged the profession, which for those of us who act ethically and try do best by our clients and the system, is grossly unfair.
January 22, 2024
I didn't think a book on tax could be interesting... or funny.
This was highly enjoyable and explains tax law and loopholes in an easy to understand way, while telling interesting anecdotes, interspersed with jokes.
Highly recommend.
This was highly enjoyable and explains tax law and loopholes in an easy to understand way, while telling interesting anecdotes, interspersed with jokes.
Highly recommend.
June 27, 2024
4.5, definitely a good read for anyone working in the UK but especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Author provides real insights into the mechanisms which allow all big corps to dodge tax on their capital gains.
April 8, 2023
A book about tax, but it's both disturbing and funny. This one was hard to put down until complete. The final chapter is certainly a system I would vote for. Rebel Accountant for Minister of Finance!
July 10, 2023
Very well written, with many anecdotes and fun facts it makes you forget you are reading a book about tax. Also very insightful & eye opening to a topic I know very little about
November 25, 2024
Δεν γνώριζα για το Taxtopia τίποτα. Ήταν μία τυχαία αγορά σε ένα ταξίδι στην Οξφόρδη όπου χάζευα ένα φημισμένο βιβλιοπωλείο και ήθελα να πάρω ένα βιβλίο που να έχει να κάνει με οικονομικά γιατί η περιοχή με τα Πανεπιστήμια με είχε εμπνεύσει πολύ. Οπότε επέλεξα αυτό.
Βρήκα το εξώφυλλο λίγο τραγικό αλλά αυτό που με κέρδισε ήταν το ότι ο συγγραφές ήταν ένας που αυτοαποκαλούνταν Rebel Accountant και ο τίτλος Taxtopia (όχι Dystopia ούτε Eutopia). Το μυαλό μου το κέρδισε άμεσα με το να κάνω σκέψεις για το τι μπορεί να έλεγε εκεί μέσα.
Στο Taxtopia λοιπόν έχουμε ένα Βρετανό ορκωτό λογιστή με ειδίκευση στους φόρους και όταν το λέμε αυτό εννοούμε στην αποφυγή αυτών.
Στα πρώτα θετικά του βιβλίου είναι ότι είναι γραμμένο το 2024 και τα παραδείγματα που έχει και παρουσιάζει έχουν να κάνουμε με γεγονότα και άτομα που όλοι γνωρίζουμε και ξέρουμε μέχρι και το 2023.
Ο τρόπος γραφής είναι αυτός ενός βιβλίου εκλαϊκευμένης επιστήμης. Δηλαδή με απλά λόγια και παραδείγματα για να σου δώσει να καταλάβεις πως λειτουργούν οι φόροι και η αποφυγή αυτών. Διαβάζετε ανετότατα. Βασικά θα μπορούσε να είναι μία συζήτηση στην βεράντα του σπιτιού σου όπου έχεις την τύχη να έχεις ένα άνθρωπο με πείρα σε ένα άκρως ενδιαφέρον θέμα και τον ρωτάς «Για πες μερικές ιστορίες σου και τι πιστεύεις γι’ αυτές;». Τόσο άνετα διαβάζεται και ΝΑΙ το ξέρω ότι οι φόροι δεν είναι ενδιαφέρον σαν θέμα αλλά εδώ το κάνει να είναι.
Σε αυτό βοηθάει πολύ και το χιούμορ του βιβλίου και η χαλαρή διάθεση να διακωμωδήσει ο συγγραφέας καταστάσεις και απόψεις (μερικές φορές αρκετά σκληρά μπορώ να πω).
Η ιστορία είναι η ζωή του, πως από ένα απλό παιδί χωρίς ποτέ να τον ενδιαφέρουν οι φόροι πέρασε από Βρετανία, Αυστραλία και πίσω στον κόσμο των λογιστών και των μεγάλων εταιρείων.
Στο βιβλίο αναφέρονται διάφορα κόλπα και τρύπες του φορολογικού συστήματος και πως το εκμεταλλεύονται οι έχοντες για να μην πληρώνουν ποτέ φόρους. ‘Όσα διαβάσετε θα σας τσαντίσουν, θα σας κάνουν να θέλετε να φωνάξετε και θα σας στεναχωρήσουν και σε μεγάλο βαθμό. Όλα για το καλό.
Ο συγγραφές, ο οποίος να πω ότι δεν έχει όνομα και δεν αποκαλύπτει ταυτότητα για ευνόητους λόγους, μέσα σε όλη αυτή την παρουσίαση κριτικάρει, αναλογίζεται και αντιμετωπίζει την ηθική πλευρά ΚΑΙ των φόρων ΑΛΛΑ και του να είναι από την πλευρά που βοηθάει τους πλούσιους να την σκαπουλάρουν. Βρήκα πολύ ωραίες όλες τις τοποθετήσεις του στο θέμα.
Τέλος καταλήγει στο τελευταίο κεφάλαιο στην Taxtopia και τι είναι αυτό…δεν θα πω γιατί θα είναι minor spoiler.
Βρήκα το βιβλίο καταπληκτικό. Μου θύμισε την πρώτη φορά που διάβασα το Freakonomics. Διαβάζετε άνετα και ευχάριστα, έχει χιούμορ έχει το θέμα της ηθικής και τέλος το μέλλον.
Μπορείς να το διαβάσεις άνετα και ας μην είσαι στον οικονομικό τομέα. Αν όμως είσαι στον οικονομικό τομέα και ειδικά στα λογιστικά σε αγγίζει και σε έναν άλλον μεγάλο βαθμό κάπως πιο έντονα και πιο βαθιά.
Πάμε για την Taxtopia.
Βρήκα το εξώφυλλο λίγο τραγικό αλλά αυτό που με κέρδισε ήταν το ότι ο συγγραφές ήταν ένας που αυτοαποκαλούνταν Rebel Accountant και ο τίτλος Taxtopia (όχι Dystopia ούτε Eutopia). Το μυαλό μου το κέρδισε άμεσα με το να κάνω σκέψεις για το τι μπορεί να έλεγε εκεί μέσα.
Στο Taxtopia λοιπόν έχουμε ένα Βρετανό ορκωτό λογιστή με ειδίκευση στους φόρους και όταν το λέμε αυτό εννοούμε στην αποφυγή αυτών.
Στα πρώτα θετικά του βιβλίου είναι ότι είναι γραμμένο το 2024 και τα παραδείγματα που έχει και παρουσιάζει έχουν να κάνουμε με γεγονότα και άτομα που όλοι γνωρίζουμε και ξέρουμε μέχρι και το 2023.
Ο τρόπος γραφής είναι αυτός ενός βιβλίου εκλαϊκευμένης επιστήμης. Δηλαδή με απλά λόγια και παραδείγματα για να σου δώσει να καταλάβεις πως λειτουργούν οι φόροι και η αποφυγή αυτών. Διαβάζετε ανετότατα. Βασικά θα μπορούσε να είναι μία συζήτηση στην βεράντα του σπιτιού σου όπου έχεις την τύχη να έχεις ένα άνθρωπο με πείρα σε ένα άκρως ενδιαφέρον θέμα και τον ρωτάς «Για πες μερικές ιστορίες σου και τι πιστεύεις γι’ αυτές;». Τόσο άνετα διαβάζεται και ΝΑΙ το ξέρω ότι οι φόροι δεν είναι ενδιαφέρον σαν θέμα αλλά εδώ το κάνει να είναι.
Σε αυτό βοηθάει πολύ και το χιούμορ του βιβλίου και η χαλαρή διάθεση να διακωμωδήσει ο συγγραφέας καταστάσεις και απόψεις (μερικές φορές αρκετά σκληρά μπορώ να πω).
Η ιστορία είναι η ζωή του, πως από ένα απλό παιδί χωρίς ποτέ να τον ενδιαφέρουν οι φόροι πέρασε από Βρετανία, Αυστραλία και πίσω στον κόσμο των λογιστών και των μεγάλων εταιρείων.
Στο βιβλίο αναφέρονται διάφορα κόλπα και τρύπες του φορολογικού συστήματος και πως το εκμεταλλεύονται οι έχοντες για να μην πληρώνουν ποτέ φόρους. ‘Όσα διαβάσετε θα σας τσαντίσουν, θα σας κάνουν να θέλετε να φωνάξετε και θα σας στεναχωρήσουν και σε μεγάλο βαθμό. Όλα για το καλό.
Ο συγγραφές, ο οποίος να πω ότι δεν έχει όνομα και δεν αποκαλύπτει ταυτότητα για ευνόητους λόγους, μέσα σε όλη αυτή την παρουσίαση κριτικάρει, αναλογίζεται και αντιμετωπίζει την ηθική πλευρά ΚΑΙ των φόρων ΑΛΛΑ και του να είναι από την πλευρά που βοηθάει τους πλούσιους να την σκαπουλάρουν. Βρήκα πολύ ωραίες όλες τις τοποθετήσεις του στο θέμα.
Τέλος καταλήγει στο τελευταίο κεφάλαιο στην Taxtopia και τι είναι αυτό…δεν θα πω γιατί θα είναι minor spoiler.
Βρήκα το βιβλίο καταπληκτικό. Μου θύμισε την πρώτη φορά που διάβασα το Freakonomics. Διαβάζετε άνετα και ευχάριστα, έχει χιούμορ έχει το θέμα της ηθικής και τέλος το μέλλον.
Μπορείς να το διαβάσεις άνετα και ας μην είσαι στον οικονομικό τομέα. Αν όμως είσαι στον οικονομικό τομέα και ειδικά στα λογιστικά σε αγγίζει και σε έναν άλλον μεγάλο βαθμό κάπως πιο έντονα και πιο βαθιά.
Πάμε για την Taxtopia.
October 17, 2023
The Rebel Accountant - The author probably has a bit of a Batman complex, sounds like a fascinating person. Tax is a hard topic. To make it entertaining, doubly so. but TRA does a good job of it.
Listen, I get that any normal person goes the extra mile to save on the tax bill. And as the TRA puts it, it really all feels like a game - and you would be a sucker to not play it. But man. the uber wealthy, not the 1%ers, not 0.1%, but 0.01%ers, they are the true players. I mean - to have to buy a yacht costing a million of pounds, and tens of thousands a month to maintain, all to avoid millions in tax... phew! Lewis Hamilton of all people thought it would be worth it to setup a web of shell companies and own a freaking private plane to save on tax. And after doing all that, he is (was?) among the leading tax payers in UK. The life of the rich is just so utterly incomprehensible to everyone else... seriously... I think I probably understand what a hobbit's life would be more than someone like Jeff Bezos... or any of those annonymous (to me) multi-billionaires.
The book is basically full of such high jinxes. A bit of clever playing around the law, and a bit of cleverly breaking it outright. Some get caught and get a slap on the wrist. Some cases Government lets them be... I guess they are counting on the trickle economics. Which is stupid because the only people their wealth trickles down to is other slightly less richer people. In no scenario does all that money ever fix the roads. By the time you factor trickling so far that money is circulating enough to raise revenue for the government through VAT and all that, that trickle is as insignificant as you peeing into the ocean.
The Government's role is discussed in fair amount of detail - mostly through examples of kind of tax regimes that are set up. And it will spin your head to just understand the complexities of it all. The whole domicile hassle in UK, the tax havens (I only understood it properly while reading this book tbh), inheritance tax, it almost feels like being rich is not worth it. Well, I don't really mean that. I'd happily pay my accountant a million pounds to use those things and save me tax... legally of course.
TRA says he doesn't know of any accountant who's a comedian. Well, happy to report TRA does have sort of a grim sense of humour about him. While you take in the anecdotes of the ultra-rich doing all sorts sof dodgy things, self-righteously judging them because you don't have the money to have to do all that, you will nonetheless be chuckling. And then you will scowl thinking that money could have paid for more doctors, so your blood test didn't have to wait for 3 weeks.
Listen, I get that any normal person goes the extra mile to save on the tax bill. And as the TRA puts it, it really all feels like a game - and you would be a sucker to not play it. But man. the uber wealthy, not the 1%ers, not 0.1%, but 0.01%ers, they are the true players. I mean - to have to buy a yacht costing a million of pounds, and tens of thousands a month to maintain, all to avoid millions in tax... phew! Lewis Hamilton of all people thought it would be worth it to setup a web of shell companies and own a freaking private plane to save on tax. And after doing all that, he is (was?) among the leading tax payers in UK. The life of the rich is just so utterly incomprehensible to everyone else... seriously... I think I probably understand what a hobbit's life would be more than someone like Jeff Bezos... or any of those annonymous (to me) multi-billionaires.
The book is basically full of such high jinxes. A bit of clever playing around the law, and a bit of cleverly breaking it outright. Some get caught and get a slap on the wrist. Some cases Government lets them be... I guess they are counting on the trickle economics. Which is stupid because the only people their wealth trickles down to is other slightly less richer people. In no scenario does all that money ever fix the roads. By the time you factor trickling so far that money is circulating enough to raise revenue for the government through VAT and all that, that trickle is as insignificant as you peeing into the ocean.
The Government's role is discussed in fair amount of detail - mostly through examples of kind of tax regimes that are set up. And it will spin your head to just understand the complexities of it all. The whole domicile hassle in UK, the tax havens (I only understood it properly while reading this book tbh), inheritance tax, it almost feels like being rich is not worth it. Well, I don't really mean that. I'd happily pay my accountant a million pounds to use those things and save me tax... legally of course.
TRA says he doesn't know of any accountant who's a comedian. Well, happy to report TRA does have sort of a grim sense of humour about him. While you take in the anecdotes of the ultra-rich doing all sorts sof dodgy things, self-righteously judging them because you don't have the money to have to do all that, you will nonetheless be chuckling. And then you will scowl thinking that money could have paid for more doctors, so your blood test didn't have to wait for 3 weeks.
September 3, 2024
Taxtopia by the pseudonymous Rebel Accountant is an exceptional new entry into the somewhat surprising emergent genre of 'professionals eviscerate their own professions' (hopefully a more enterprising person can think of a snappier moniker than that). It joins Adam Kay's books on being a junior doctor, including This is Going to Hurt; The Secret Barrister's wonderful books on their field (guess which one that is) such as Fake Law; and Ian Dundt's assault on Westminster which includes a section dedicated to his field - journalism - see How Westminster Works ... and Why it Doesn't.
In the same way, the Rebel Accountant offers a searing critique of the world of tax accountancy from a disaffected employee but with equally heavy doses of sarcasm and humour. In fact, Taxtopia is perhaps the funniest of these works (alongside maybe Adam Kay); there is scarcely a page I didn't laugh.
In one memorable exchange as we follow the author from their first job out of university to an interview to move to an Australian firm, we are treated to some cultural differences. While trying to blag their way through an interview question about the 'Laffer' - which turns out to be the LAFHA, an allowance paid to those living away from home to encourage them to move to the capital Canberra - our accountant is pushed to be specific:
Our narrator got the job.
The book is mostly concerned with getting into the nitty gritty of tax avoidance which, expectedly, comes awfully close to tax evasion much of the time. As the cover-quotes testify, it is "shocking" stuff, though moralising from Piers Morgan, the author of that quotation, is a little tough to swallow. Dubious praise aside, this book is exceptional at gently taking the reader through the details of these schemes. And wow are there are a lot. We hear about how the Aussies enjoy "rorting the LAFHA" (Australian slang, meaning probably clear in context); how film companies claim to be making British films to benefit from tax breaks, including a film called Metro Manila, a Tagalog-language film set in the Philippines; how to use boats to alter domicile status for tax reasons; the list goes on.
The author infuses the arcana of these schemes with witty anecdotes, interweaving famous examples of celebrities, such as Chris Moyles, into the story to help keep the reader engaged (Jimmy Carr comes off unexpectedly well). Entertainment is matched with vitriol. The author is clearly genuinely angry about what they've seen, shown throughout this autobiographical work by their growing disaffection, and it is hard as a reader not to get worked up.
The book manages to step above the detail and the sordid details of specific schemes to speak to the big picture. They polemicise against the unfairness of tax rules and their complexity. They advocate a world in which hardly any tax accountants are required because filings are so simple to do while the myriad ways of wriggling out of paying tax are eliminated. The author is particularly incensed by the bias against the poor, reporting for example how a think tank found "HMRC prosecuted 23 times as many benefits cheats as tax cheats, despite tax fraud costing the economy nine times as much as benefits fraud".
Particular ire is reserved for retroactive changes made called the Loan Charge. Unusually in a book opposed to tax avoidance, the 'solution' to this tax scheme is hammered for being unfair too: HMRC previously allowed employees to be paid in loans that accrued no tax. Lots of relatively low paid contractors ended up being signed up by their employers, but were years later faced with a huge tax bill due to later changes. What so agitates the author is the fact that this approach - paying employees in loans - was known to HMRC; the author draws the comparison with reducing a speed limit after years of operating a road and then fining those going over the new, lower speed limit.
For a non-fiction book about a challenging topic that is anything but riveting for most people, the Rebel Accountant has done a masterful job not only articulating the nuances of tax avoidance but also made the topic fun and engaging. In this seemingly new genre, I doubt any professional would have a harder time writing a page-turning tell-all about their field than a tax accountant. That this author has succeeded while educating the reader on a topic everyone should be more interested in is nothing short of miraculous.
In the same way, the Rebel Accountant offers a searing critique of the world of tax accountancy from a disaffected employee but with equally heavy doses of sarcasm and humour. In fact, Taxtopia is perhaps the funniest of these works (alongside maybe Adam Kay); there is scarcely a page I didn't laugh.
In one memorable exchange as we follow the author from their first job out of university to an interview to move to an Australian firm, we are treated to some cultural differences. While trying to blag their way through an interview question about the 'Laffer' - which turns out to be the LAFHA, an allowance paid to those living away from home to encourage them to move to the capital Canberra - our accountant is pushed to be specific:
"But do you think it's fair that you'll pay less tax as a Pom than I will as an Australian"
At this point one of the interviewers, who was in the room with me and had introduced herself as from HR, leaned forward to speak clearly into the phone: "I think we should make clear that Pom is a term of endearment." She smiled nervously at me.
I still had no idea what a Laffer was but I liked the sound of it meaning I would pay less tax.
"Well ... I trust in the wisdom of the Australian government."
Everyone laughed ... and then the conversation moved on.
Our narrator got the job.
The book is mostly concerned with getting into the nitty gritty of tax avoidance which, expectedly, comes awfully close to tax evasion much of the time. As the cover-quotes testify, it is "shocking" stuff, though moralising from Piers Morgan, the author of that quotation, is a little tough to swallow. Dubious praise aside, this book is exceptional at gently taking the reader through the details of these schemes. And wow are there are a lot. We hear about how the Aussies enjoy "rorting the LAFHA" (Australian slang, meaning probably clear in context); how film companies claim to be making British films to benefit from tax breaks, including a film called Metro Manila, a Tagalog-language film set in the Philippines; how to use boats to alter domicile status for tax reasons; the list goes on.
The author infuses the arcana of these schemes with witty anecdotes, interweaving famous examples of celebrities, such as Chris Moyles, into the story to help keep the reader engaged (Jimmy Carr comes off unexpectedly well). Entertainment is matched with vitriol. The author is clearly genuinely angry about what they've seen, shown throughout this autobiographical work by their growing disaffection, and it is hard as a reader not to get worked up.
The book manages to step above the detail and the sordid details of specific schemes to speak to the big picture. They polemicise against the unfairness of tax rules and their complexity. They advocate a world in which hardly any tax accountants are required because filings are so simple to do while the myriad ways of wriggling out of paying tax are eliminated. The author is particularly incensed by the bias against the poor, reporting for example how a think tank found "HMRC prosecuted 23 times as many benefits cheats as tax cheats, despite tax fraud costing the economy nine times as much as benefits fraud".
Particular ire is reserved for retroactive changes made called the Loan Charge. Unusually in a book opposed to tax avoidance, the 'solution' to this tax scheme is hammered for being unfair too: HMRC previously allowed employees to be paid in loans that accrued no tax. Lots of relatively low paid contractors ended up being signed up by their employers, but were years later faced with a huge tax bill due to later changes. What so agitates the author is the fact that this approach - paying employees in loans - was known to HMRC; the author draws the comparison with reducing a speed limit after years of operating a road and then fining those going over the new, lower speed limit.
For a non-fiction book about a challenging topic that is anything but riveting for most people, the Rebel Accountant has done a masterful job not only articulating the nuances of tax avoidance but also made the topic fun and engaging. In this seemingly new genre, I doubt any professional would have a harder time writing a page-turning tell-all about their field than a tax accountant. That this author has succeeded while educating the reader on a topic everyone should be more interested in is nothing short of miraculous.
April 3, 2023
This is an incredibly well written and insightful book that certainly meets its brief of leaving you horrified and incredulous at the tax evasion that is rife in our society. This book lays it all out on the tiles, no holes barred, when it comes to exposing, all be it with a sense of humour, the scandulous, and legal ways, the super rich avoid paying taxes. I definitely proves that there is a two tier tax system in place to benefit those who "Have ", whilst penalising even more the " Have nots".
In the current climate with so many people struggling to make ends meet, pay their bills, heat their homes and feed their families, the openness and frankness of this book leaves you feeling nothing but revulsion for those who " Have" and avoid paying what they owe at all costs. The incredibly sad reality of it all is that the " Have nots" can never take advantage of all the loop holes and tax strategies that have been created for those that have the money to use them.
So will I be buying a super yacht to save me paying taxes - no - because I can't currently afford to buy a rubber dinghy to sail on the River Ouse. Will I be paying £30,000 as a one off tax payment so that I don't get clobbered for paying anymore tax - no I won't. Will I be hiring an accountant to make sure I don't pay a penny more in tax than I need to - no I won't - because I'm one of the "little people" who are caught in the tax trap through not having enough
Will I be leaving this book around for friends and family to read - yes I will - because everyone should know about the two faced tax system the vast majority of us are trapped in.
My sincere thanks to The Rebel Accountant for writing this incredibly thought provoking book in an incredibly witty and truthful way.
In the current climate with so many people struggling to make ends meet, pay their bills, heat their homes and feed their families, the openness and frankness of this book leaves you feeling nothing but revulsion for those who " Have" and avoid paying what they owe at all costs. The incredibly sad reality of it all is that the " Have nots" can never take advantage of all the loop holes and tax strategies that have been created for those that have the money to use them.
So will I be buying a super yacht to save me paying taxes - no - because I can't currently afford to buy a rubber dinghy to sail on the River Ouse. Will I be paying £30,000 as a one off tax payment so that I don't get clobbered for paying anymore tax - no I won't. Will I be hiring an accountant to make sure I don't pay a penny more in tax than I need to - no I won't - because I'm one of the "little people" who are caught in the tax trap through not having enough
Will I be leaving this book around for friends and family to read - yes I will - because everyone should know about the two faced tax system the vast majority of us are trapped in.
My sincere thanks to The Rebel Accountant for writing this incredibly thought provoking book in an incredibly witty and truthful way.
April 10, 2023
Thank you to Anne of Random Things Tours and Octopus Books for the invitation to join the blog tour for Taxtopia by The Rebel Accountant. I studied tax law many years ago for my Business Law degree and my eldest is considering accountancy for a career so this seemed a good book to dive into.
I’m so glad I volunteered to review this book because this is a fascinating read and a reminder about why you should never believe the newspaper headlines about tax without investigating further. This isn’t a tax handbook but a look at how accountants help people navigate the tax laws to reduce their tax burden. How many companies are using loopholes to avoid paying corporation tax?
Some of the stories you may remember (Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles etc) but this gives greater insight into why they believed the schemes were legal. I think the majority of people would honestly look to save money in some way but it is amazing at the lengths people have gone to. Would you establish a company to buy a house for you to live in, to buy the car you drive?
The book helps explain why so many rich foreigners have purchased expensive properties in the UK (pushing up house prices), how to get tax breaks on films (including the Bond movies) and why the tax laws need simplifying. There is plenty of humour (often at the expense of the author) to stop this being a dry and/or boring read.
A thought provoking read, especially when you work for a social mobility education charity supporting young people who are finding schools struggling to recruit teachers due to lack of funding when billions of pounds aren’t being collected in tax. Happy to recommend.
I’m so glad I volunteered to review this book because this is a fascinating read and a reminder about why you should never believe the newspaper headlines about tax without investigating further. This isn’t a tax handbook but a look at how accountants help people navigate the tax laws to reduce their tax burden. How many companies are using loopholes to avoid paying corporation tax?
Some of the stories you may remember (Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles etc) but this gives greater insight into why they believed the schemes were legal. I think the majority of people would honestly look to save money in some way but it is amazing at the lengths people have gone to. Would you establish a company to buy a house for you to live in, to buy the car you drive?
The book helps explain why so many rich foreigners have purchased expensive properties in the UK (pushing up house prices), how to get tax breaks on films (including the Bond movies) and why the tax laws need simplifying. There is plenty of humour (often at the expense of the author) to stop this being a dry and/or boring read.
A thought provoking read, especially when you work for a social mobility education charity supporting young people who are finding schools struggling to recruit teachers due to lack of funding when billions of pounds aren’t being collected in tax. Happy to recommend.
September 21, 2023
The book's fundamental premise is clear, even if occasionally presented in a somewhat conspiratorial tone: the tax system is rigged.
Within the pages of Taxtopia, the veil is lifted on the hidden realm of tax avoidance, unveiling the ways in which tax advisors have empowered their affluent clients to evade, reduce, or entirely escape the tax burdens that the rest of us must bear. While the technical details are often tucked away in casual footnotes filled with humor, the narrative exposes the absurd and unjust intricacies of a tax system meticulously crafted by accountants to ensure their job security.
Crafted with a sharp wit and brimming with insider knowledge, the anonymous author not only demonstrates that the global tax system incentivizes dubious practices that favor the wealthy but also reveals that it was deliberately designed with this bias in mind. If you've ever suspected that taxes are a rigged game, a scheme meant to drain the ordinary citizen's wallet, prepare to be shocked by just how true that suspicion is.
In summary, this book serves as an outstanding guide to understanding our tax system and how it has been manipulated by the affluent to the detriment of those who unknowingly foot the bill.
Within the pages of Taxtopia, the veil is lifted on the hidden realm of tax avoidance, unveiling the ways in which tax advisors have empowered their affluent clients to evade, reduce, or entirely escape the tax burdens that the rest of us must bear. While the technical details are often tucked away in casual footnotes filled with humor, the narrative exposes the absurd and unjust intricacies of a tax system meticulously crafted by accountants to ensure their job security.
Crafted with a sharp wit and brimming with insider knowledge, the anonymous author not only demonstrates that the global tax system incentivizes dubious practices that favor the wealthy but also reveals that it was deliberately designed with this bias in mind. If you've ever suspected that taxes are a rigged game, a scheme meant to drain the ordinary citizen's wallet, prepare to be shocked by just how true that suspicion is.
In summary, this book serves as an outstanding guide to understanding our tax system and how it has been manipulated by the affluent to the detriment of those who unknowingly foot the bill.
January 15, 2024
It's a very entertaining book, the stories made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Which is pretty impressive given it is a book on tax. Some of the loop holes explained in the book were new to me, but nothing ground-breaking. You would find similar sort of things in news papers.
The book follows this kind of recipe:
1. Starts with a story which seems pretty random
2. Sets the scene and talk about different things, often the author's life experience
3. Briefly mentions some tax related things, often how someone tried to dodge tax using a vaguely described method
4. Moves on to some other story
The book did stay on course and talk about the injustices in the UK laws, and gave pretty specific examples on why the laws don't work. In some cases even go into details around how those laws came to be, and why they will not change even though the politicians know those laws are not working. There's a little sprinkle of conspiracy theory thinking, but mostly justified.
Gave the book 3 stars because it focused more on making everything sound dramatic and I wish it actually gone more into tax/accountancy related topics. It would make the book less interesting to read for sure, but for me the number one thing for a non-fiction is information over entertainment.
The book follows this kind of recipe:
1. Starts with a story which seems pretty random
2. Sets the scene and talk about different things, often the author's life experience
3. Briefly mentions some tax related things, often how someone tried to dodge tax using a vaguely described method
4. Moves on to some other story
The book did stay on course and talk about the injustices in the UK laws, and gave pretty specific examples on why the laws don't work. In some cases even go into details around how those laws came to be, and why they will not change even though the politicians know those laws are not working. There's a little sprinkle of conspiracy theory thinking, but mostly justified.
Gave the book 3 stars because it focused more on making everything sound dramatic and I wish it actually gone more into tax/accountancy related topics. It would make the book less interesting to read for sure, but for me the number one thing for a non-fiction is information over entertainment.
May 12, 2024
Let me sum my opinion of this book up with a real world example of one of its core themes :
As a resident of Stevenage, I've been requested to help subsidise a diminishing budget for food at the special needs school my son attends, had his access to play a scheme eroded to near non existence and frequently have to plow through a growing number of pot holes on local car journeys.
Now I know why .... or rather how. Never have I wanted more to punch Lewis Hamilton ( my favourite example in the book) in the face, Tony Soprano style, whilst reminding him Stevenage ( or as one of the worlds richest the Formula one drivers referred to it "the slums") provided the multi millionaire former resident the foundations of his route to the fantastical riches he frequently boasts of .
And yes, the book is excellent by the way.
*** Mr Hamilton, if you happen to read this I promise to gladly pay for and deliver by hand a copy of this book to you... Providing I get to use one of your corporate jets to do so ( don't worry - our whittless prime minister has reduced taxes on short hall flights for you.... Oh , and you could probably get one of your amoral accountants to bill UK tax payers for the expenses anyway.) ***
As a resident of Stevenage, I've been requested to help subsidise a diminishing budget for food at the special needs school my son attends, had his access to play a scheme eroded to near non existence and frequently have to plow through a growing number of pot holes on local car journeys.
Now I know why .... or rather how. Never have I wanted more to punch Lewis Hamilton ( my favourite example in the book) in the face, Tony Soprano style, whilst reminding him Stevenage ( or as one of the worlds richest the Formula one drivers referred to it "the slums") provided the multi millionaire former resident the foundations of his route to the fantastical riches he frequently boasts of .
And yes, the book is excellent by the way.
*** Mr Hamilton, if you happen to read this I promise to gladly pay for and deliver by hand a copy of this book to you... Providing I get to use one of your corporate jets to do so ( don't worry - our whittless prime minister has reduced taxes on short hall flights for you.... Oh , and you could probably get one of your amoral accountants to bill UK tax payers for the expenses anyway.) ***
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