The Tax Office and Terrorism

[coljones]

To begin, I am NOT asserting that our Tax Office is a terrorist organization. But here's what has got me thinking... This couple at our gym had a message on their phone to ring the tax office at the number provided. When they rang, they were told that an audit of their returns showed they owed $1400 and they had better send the money forthwith and that in the meantime the police had their names on an arrest list.

They were seriously distressed, but having a wider group to speak to, they found out ( before sending the money) that it was a scam and nothing to do with the real tax office or the real police.

 

But here's what I reckon... this scam has its impact because the population is actually afraid of the tax office.

 

I don't think they should live in this fear.

Almost everyone has a connection to the tax office so a demand from them would not appear to be out of ordinary. This is why the scam works so well. In the case of Social Security the scam is actually government policy.

 

 

[coljones]

Yep space, they can do things "legally' which if anybody else did then it would be criminal. As I said, their basic job is demanding money with menaces. Dutch thinks this is unfair criticism, while I say its just an honest description of what they do. Why else would anybody send them their money? In many cases, they go broke from the tax demands.I say, blame your local MP, regardless of the party.

A lot of companies that go broke because of tax demands because they fail to allocate income received to a tax holding bucket. The main reason for this is that they have spent to tax owing and usually their employees entitlements including Holiday pay and superannuation deductions. If they don't have it in their business plans to hold these funds in trust til demanded then they really shouldn't be in business.

 

 

[coljones]

Spacesailor, be very careful if you ever bring anything back. I know a guy who went to jail for bringing back some overseas money and not giving the taxman his cut. In Bathurst jail he was deprived of his prescription drugs for a kidney condition.The fact that no Australian infrastructure was used to earn that money and it was brought back to provide employment here in Australia cut no ice. The first judge said that this was not a jailing offence, but the taxman appealed the community service sentence. The victim was already bankrupted and he couldn't defend the appeal and went to jail for 18 months.

18 months in choky (and in Bathurst) He must have been a bad, bad, bad boy.

 

 

[Bruce]

col, for most of my working life I was paid by the government and had no problems with the tax I paid. Since then, with money I earned the hard way with no help at all from the government, I can say it hurts to pay out tax money.

 

Especially when its wasted, like on keeping non-violent people in jail, in particular those who had already been punished by bankrupting them.

 

I got to say this to the South Australian minister for corrections... his reply was that they knew this very well and he agreed with me, , but they had to do what the public demanded or lose office.

 

 

[facthunter]

Only BAD people go to jail?. Don't believe it. DNA testing proved many on death row didn't do it, in the USA.. Rich people can usually avoid punishment.. The Lawyers that defend them get the most money for their services, because they can. A lot of crooks are rich. That's why they are crooks. It's more successful at making money than doing it the honest way.. Not ALL rich people are crooks. One must allow that possibility.. How can ANY HUMAN be worth figures like $24 million. per year. as a salary not a windfall dividend.? Nev

 

 

[spacesailor]

$24 million,

 

One bank exec was paid the rediculess figure of $53 million per annum,

 

Then took a golden hhandshake &ran back oversea,s.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Marty_d]

I like the idea that no one, in any organisation, gets paid more than x times the lowest paid worker in that organisation. (Say x=25).

 

Therefore, if the organisation employs a cleaner on $40,000 a year, the maximum the CEO can be paid is $1 million.

 

And the idea that anyone is worth a massive bonus - sometimes much more than their actual salary - is laughable. If they've done a superb job, what's wrong with a public commendation? A soldier who goes above and beyond in times of war at the risk of their own life gets a medal, they don't get multi-million dollar bonuses.

 

 

[Bruce]

Good idea Marty. We could then argue over what x should be. I reckon a much lower figure than 25 is healthier for society. Say 5.

 

 

[facthunter]

If people take risks (salvage etc) and have great skills or are popular entertainers perhaps windfall profits might apply. Running a small (by world standards) Australian Airline is not worth 40 + times more than the American President gets. Nev

 

 

[Bruce]

I reckon the "win at any cost" mentality does more harm than good to sports. Related to this is the big money that the sports stars get. Mind you, it is better going to the players instead of the administrators.

 

Look at the sad saga of cricket lately, and look what happened to Essendon AFL club. Too much money at stake.

 

 

[facthunter]

The root of all evil, it says in the good book. Maybe more truth in that than one gives it credit for. Nev

 

 

[Marty_d]

The root of all evil, it says in the good book. Maybe more truth in that than one gives it credit for. Nev

I think the quote is "the LOVE of money is... " because money is essentially amoral, you can use it for good or evil. ie Bill Gates VS Koch brothers.

 

Not that I think the bible gets it right very often, but it has a point there.

 

 

[nomadpete]

I think that Plato suggested that politicians should get board and lodging. Otherwise they go into it to get rich. Of course there is a flaw in that. I'm not sure how he proposed to prevent the lobbyists paying on the quiet. Maybe I should read Plato's Republic? At least he had the same problem 2000 yrs ago with power/politics that we still have. So it probably hasn't got worse....

 

 

[spacesailor]

The good "Toongabbie Spares" Shop was shut & padlocked by the Terror-office, after they refused to leave their creditors out of pocket, instead of paying their provisional tax on time, they had asked for a seven day extention, The Terror-ist locked it up after midnight.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

Who do you think urged them to do that? Nev

 

 

[Bruce]

Red, don't they need a search warrant to do that?

 

Too much of that behavior will cause people to store their stuff off-premises.

 

 

[facthunter]

Bruce ... You think you have RIGHTs? You don't actually. Nev

 

 

[coljones]

The good "Toongabbie Spares" Shop was shut & padlocked by the Terror-office, after they refused to leave their creditors out of pocket, instead of paying their provisional tax on time, they had asked for a seven day extention, The Terror-ist locked it up after midnight.spacesailor

That sounds a bit like trading while insolvent and unable to pay your bills as they fall due. Did they forward the staff super or make provision for staff holiday pay?

 

 

[spacesailor]

Yes,

 

They paid all but, And there was the problem that caught them out, ran out of cash & had to wait on who-ever was paying them, seven days, to Trade back into another year. Lost a great motor spare shop.(The owners were old enough to go straight onto the age pension )

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

What makes that story sadder space is knowing that much tax money is just wasted.

 

 

[spacesailor]

HERE'S A Shiittty thing from that terror-office,

 

I've got a 20cent coin with 100 year of terrorism on it.

 

They seem to be Proud of their accomplishment. (fear)

 

Really want to deface this horrid coin.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[spacesailor]

The Terror's at it again, taking from the little people, Not the corporate-office !.

 

There's an uncertain future for 50 franchisees after chocolate cafe chain Oliver Brown collapses into voluntary administration

 

Around 50 Oliver Brown franchise stores face uncertain futures after the company collapsed into voluntary administration, reportedly owing $29 million in liabilities.

 

The Belgian-inspired chocolate store lists 52 franchised stores on its website; all are on the east coast and 43 are in New South Wales. which, according to ASIC documents,

 

was placed in liquidation on March 14. It also includes the Sydney’s World Square store, which fell into administration at the beginning of May.

 

A large number of the sites are located within large shopping centres operated by the likes of Stockland and Westfield,This list includes the Wetherill Park store,

 

reportedly, the company owes creditors $29 million and company director Eric Song had contested a $5.1 million tax debt identified in 2016.

 

the Australian Taxation Office,

 

Seeking to recover this debt, reportedly issued garnishee notices to franchisees instead of head office.

 

The ATO is said to be claiming $5.2 million in liabilities at this stage, while landlords are reportedly owed upwards of $20 million.

 

In order to continue doing business after their head office collapses, franchise operators must deal with landlords and source new suppliers.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

What's a garnishee notice space? what can they do to the franchisees ?

 

 

[spacesailor]

They are a law unto themselves, Walk in & padlock their doors, sell all assets they want, to recover this debt.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

Sheet the blame to where it belongs. This rotten GOVERNMENT cut tax office staff and then gave 'certain " instructions including going slow on repayments to taxpayers and not applying erroneous assessments in the taxpayer's favour which the tax office picked up but the taxpayers hadn't No case management continuity to sort things out . Just frustration, delay and stress and applying the ridiculous algorithm that sent small business to the wall because their credit sources weren't available while the tax office haven't finalized aspects of tax returns going back years and drove people to suicide, marriage breakdown etc I know a bit about this and will NEVER forgive the government for it. They only protect BIG business (Their MATES). What happened with this should be investigated thoroughly so some sort of justice is eventually achieved. Nev