We’ve written here several times over the last few years about the way in which money is created in the West. So regular readers will understand that the supply of money is not created in …
Britain’s move to ‘capitalism with Chinese characteristics’
Category: Blog
Don’t buy a house… you know this in your guts
Don’t buy a house now in London or in the south, said Times columnist Caitlin Moran this weekend. It isn’t a good idea and “you know this in your guts”. I mentioned on Twitter at …
Drug companies’ ‘tax inversion’ dodge could backfire
Could healthcare shares be good for your wealth? Ian Cowie thinks so. In The Sunday Times at the weekend, he said that he was buying shares in Worldwide Healthcare investment trust at a price 16% …
The best way to collect taxes? Start a lottery
I’ve written a few times about the rising size of the black economy in the UK. We aren’t the only place struggling with it. But, while we deal with the problem with moralistic soul searching combined …
Advisers: you don’t have to be right, but you do have to be honest
Who should give financial advice? Now there’s a question for you. It isn’t a new one. Back in 1964 Ken Hart of Barden Hart and Blake was complaining about the need for a proper regime. …
The rise of Britain’s un-taxed economy
I’ve written here several times before about the way in which the modern middle-classes have many streams of income, about the difficulties of measuring that, and partially as a result, about the size of the black …
Abolish inheritance tax – and make death a taxable event
I have written several pieces on inheritance tax (IHT) recently. You can read them here and here. The key point I am trying to make in bringing the subject up (over and over again) is …
A simple solution to inheritance tax
A letter in the FT responding to my thoughts on replacing inheritance tax (IHT) with an income tax on the recipients has what looks like rather a good idea in it. Why not allow pension …
Inheriting small businesses the German way
When I talk about inheritance tax (IHT), and about how all the loopholes that allow people to avoid it should be slammed shut immediately, there is always a backlash from family business and farm owners. If …
Isa providers had better get moving
There’s a major challenge out there for Isa providers: create an acceptable merged-Isa for us by 1 July. That’s the date the chancellor has given for the introduction of the Nisa. We will all be …