Celtic recorded victories over Dundee and Hearts after their first two Champions League games but collected only one point from the two league games following the double header against Barcelona. They also won after only two of their four Champions League qualifying games, so there is no reason to expect a convincing win against Inverness tomorrow.
Inverness slumped to a freak 1-5 defeat at home to Motherwell last week but that was their first defeat since the same team beat them earlier this season. Like Celtic at the Camp Nou, they will be set on defending deeply at Celtic Park in order to prevent another collapse. This could be an occasion for Paddy McCourt to prize them open.
I had a look at the Europa League group tables last night. Udinese, who eclipsed us in the same competition last season, are bottom of their group this year, as are PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, Athletic Bilbao (who beat Manchester Utd home and away last season) and Helsingborgs. Other recent opponents Rapid Vienna and Hapoel Tel-Aviv are also bottom.
If you’re on Facebook there is a story on the CQN Magazine page about Benfica implying Celtic only beat Barcelona because of cheating. Drop in and take a look. On a related subject, I’ve some good material from Spartak in reserve for the days before their visit.
The Annual Remembrance Service, held by the Celtic Supporters’ Association, takes place tomorrow, in memory of Celtic fans no longer with us, with prayers offered for those departed during the last year, including Joe McBride.
The Mass, at St Michael’s at 1350 Gallowgate just up from Parkhead Cross, will start at 12:30 and should be over in around 30 minutes, after which refreshments will be available in the hall to warm you before you head to the game. All are welcome to celebrate the memory of those who have gone before us.
Lost wedding ring alert! Someone found a wedding ring in Lisbon which was probably dropped by a Celtic fan. Let me know if you know who is walking around with their hand in their pocket this week.
Get your CQN Annual here, an enormous resource from the keyboards of Celtic fans!
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Did Mr Black , Red, Magneta etc recieve a letter?
Tax avoiders to get warning shot from HMRC
By Kevin Peachey
Personal finance reporter, BBC News
Hundreds of suspected tax avoiders are to receive letters in the coming weeks warning them that their financial affairs are facing special scrutiny.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is sending letters directly to 1,500 people who it believes have signed up to one particular avoidance scheme.
The correspondence, the first of its kind, is a pre-emptive strike before the scheme’s legality is challenged.
The National Audit Office said such schemes cost the UK more than £10bn.
In a report, published on Wednesday, the watchdog said HMRC was dealing with a backlog of 41,000 cases of aggressive tax avoidance involving individuals and small companies.
Penalties
In an attempt to tackle the backlog, HMRC is sending out four versions of the same letter in a pilot scheme. The first wave of about 700 will start landing on doormats on Saturday.
One version says: “You are in the small minority of people who have made the deliberate choice to avoid tax. We focus our resources on this small minority. The choice that you have made changes the way we view your tax affairs.
“Our Specialist Investigations Unit will be carrying out a full investigation into this scheme and they will open an enquiry into your tax affairs.”
It goes on to suggest that people who use the scheme could find that they have to pay the outstanding tax, plus interest, and – in certain circumstances – could face a financial penalty.
It provides contact and payment details for people if they wish to pull out of the scheme immediately and pay up.
No details have been revealed about the recipients of the letters, who live across the UK. Although they are not all thought to be among the mega-rich, one tax expert said he would be surprised if there were no big names among them.
‘Reality check’
Tax avoidance schemes are legal but, in this case, HMRC is saying that it has good reasons to put it under the microscope.
Extracts from the tax letters
We are committed to challenging aggressive tax avoidance, and we will do so through the courts where appropriate. If we do this then it will lead to years of uncertainty about your tax affairs, and mean considerable additional cost to you. We are already challenging similar schemes and we have a very successful track record in the courts with schemes of this type.
Your decision to use a scheme such as this means that we will treat you as a higher risk customer. Therefore we will monitor more closely your tax affairs in the future.
…….
Paying your taxes in full is the right thing to do. Not paying tax reduces our public finances. We all lose out on essential public services such as roads, the NHS and schools.
In the new tactic, it is writing to people directly to give them the opportunity to get out of the scheme, which has not been named publicly.
An HMRC spokesman admitted that these people were free to argue because no ruling had yet been made about the legality of this scheme.
Normally, HMRC would contact the promoters of these schemes, rather than the individual investors themselves, to tell them that they will be challenging the scheme at a tax tribunal.
Tax avoidance schemes have hit the headlines in recent months.
They have included the Jersey-based K2 scheme which featured the membership – now cancelled – of comedian Jimmy Carr.
More than 1,000 people were thought to be using the scheme which was said to be sheltering £168m a year from the Treasury.
Under the K2 scheme, an individual resigned from their company and any salary they subsequently received was paid to an offshore trust which then lent investors back the money. As this is a loan that can technically be recalled, there was no income tax due.
HMRC has been criticised for failing to properly curb aggressive avoidance schemes.
The National Audit Office’s report said that between 2004 and 2011, about 2,300 avoidance schemes were disclosed to the tax authorities, with more than 100 new schemes emerging in each of the past four years.
HMRC said it had successfully challenged 40 schemes in two years, but MPs said that the UK tax authority must do better in tackling “mass-marketed” schemes.
Chas Roy-Chowdhury, of the ACCA tax body, said that the letters were a good way of HMRC trying to get the numbers of these schemes down to “more manageable levels”.
He said that the correspondence would be a “reality check” for many recipients.
“This is the first time HMRC is contacting people directly and putting down in black and white exactly what the position is for them. It will make people think twice,” he said.
“I hope it does bring down the numbers and restore some faith in the tax system.”
He said it was also a good way of pointing out that much of the accountancy trade was not involved in promoting these schemes.
Its not the rank and file huns I’m bothered with. For me its Ally, Wattie Wiggy and Ogilvie. False bigots with too much power.
Biometrics Data On Schoolkids….
All Part Of The Marxist Gramschian ‘Long March’….
Tae Oor ‘One-World Utopia’…
“Look Away ,Lil’ Martha…!”
Are The Siren Squeals Of ‘Carmen Miranda’….An Oor’ Comrade Ernie….
“Nuthin Tae See Here..”
Right..?
Ye’re Darned Right..!
remember this…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQTPt-tBbp0
Salmond must be careful what he wishes for. Should Scotland gain independence, then The EU has strict criteria these days, plus the smaller you are the easier it is to be closely scrutinised. And when it comes to minorities, The EU can carry a lot of weight.
Like water on stone, we will eventuallly wear them down to nothing. The 17th. Century is where they will remain and be forgotten therein as time moves on.
So we are a wee bit thin on the ground for CBs today?
Someone mentioned young Marcus Fraser earlier on – if he was good enough to come on at half-time last season against Rennes, and have a very good game, why not today?!
He was also on the bench for the Barca game at CP.
HH!!
Many thanks to BRTH for his must erudite and explanatory (after reading it several times) take on the FTT decision.
Consequently I was surprised to read of SDM’s call for a police investigation into the suspected leaking of confidential information regarding the FTT.
Was not SDM himself, in his infamous quote ”For every Fiver they spend, we will spend a tenner” , alluding to the 50% advantage gained by the correct tax structure.
No ! I must have got that wrong. That quote was from 1998, outside the term of the FTT and before any such structure was invented.
GordonJ – Took a look at your blog, more power to you. Though I have no idea why you apologised for calling the tax case wrong. There was no offence caused, no aggreived party.
You gave your opinion in reasonable terms, nothing more. And what kind of person finds opinion offensive?
Four across, five letters, starts with a ‘b’, it’s on the tip of my tongue ;)
Posters keep saying use the Development Squad but are not specific as to who is actually ready to step up. Living in Ireland I never get the chance to see an Under 20 game so I simply don’t know. Marcus Fraser did get a game last year & did fine and there is talk about Chalmers. Any CQN’ers actually see any of these lads in action lately or is there any other lad ready for the step up. Delighted to see Paul George is almost back & the lad Atajic seems a bit special too, however at the moment its defenders we need.
Madrarua.11.21
We d a great turn out .. I was sincerely humbled to climb the stairs to my ” randomly” selected seat, behind Bertie Auld and Evan Williams..
Two legendary hoops making such an effort..
To share a moment with fellow CQNers,
Bertie Auld was in the loo with many of us, and everyone starts singing and chanting his name as he s having a pee!! A funny funny moment .. Try having a pee while 60 people sing your name!!!
HH
GordonJ – stay safe my friend!
The call for Paddy McCourt to start today does not surprise me the bhoy has a big following at Celtic Park.However, hes not for me he has had enough chances to show he is first team material but in my opinion hasnt shown enough if im being honest I feel his time at Celtic has passed and a move to another club would benefit him if he wants to play regular first team football.H.H.
BRTH, thank you for your latest post and let me say first of all I am a big fan of your posts and your wee tale about the retiring sheriff (the clever old fox who made judgements from the rarefied and constricted view of within the world of the court) made it clear you were, or had been a lawyer.
You see the good in your fellow lawyers and the way you described your retiring sheriff was right out of Rumpole of the Bailey. It is apparent that you expect your erstewhile colleagues to be ethical men who would judge in the same way as your retiring sheriff.
I understand that, and it is commendable that you have this faith in your fellow lawyers. I am not a lawyer and consequently don’t have the in-built fraternal respect that you may have for your former peers.
I gave examples of hearsay evidence that suggested that sheriffs were not all like the couthy old codger you described, but my experiences of lawyers are not solely predicated on newspaper reports.
I have first-hand experience of being shafted by the lawyer aiding an arbitrator in a hearing that concerned me. By observing how he could, by legal gymnastics, construe black as being white my instinct told me that he was bent. I shared this view with my lawyer and counsel (both of whom were friends) and they reacted with shock, horror. I was wrong they said.
Even when I produced concrete evidence that the lawyer in question had received £5 grand in shares from the opposing party during the arbitration, they simply went quiet, not wanting to speak of the very obvious corruption of their peer. I understand that loyalty.
However having had this experience – which if not discovered by me could have been very costly – I find it difficult to share your nice wee scenario about clever, but honest judges, having to come to the conclusion they did in the FTT. From my experiences of the law from the consumer’s side I have no doubt that the two judges could have found within the law, what the non-legal tax expert Heidi Poom found in fact.
Even if HMRC had stated that they accepted that the Trust Funds were properly constituted it was within the gruesome twosome’s power to say, based on the evidence led………….naw they arney ………in the appropriate legalese of course.
You base your premise on all judges being impartial and fair, with total knowledge of their subject, which they applied assiduously within the letter of the law. I have no such misapprehensions.
However neither of us know the truth.
I suspect that Masons in Scotland, and there are some famous freemasons associated with the Oldco Rangers and the Newco will be raising a glass in the lodge tonight to the FTT result as further proof of the fact that they are indeed the people… they have got away with it….even when the facts overwhelmingly show that they are guilty of tax dodging .
My view of the two judges in this case may be as jaundiced as yours is trusting, but we will not even know the identities of the guilty parties in this case, or the amount by which the taxpayer was defrauded. To me this has the hallmarks of a Masonic stitch-up, where the brethren in distress are given the aid of their fellows.
Here’s hoping there is an appeal or it is open season on tax-dodging in Scotland.
Not caught up on all posts so may have been covered already, but any other bhoys and ghirls wondering why Chuckles has been unusually quiet since the great FTT “victory” ?
ArranmoreBhoyLXV11
The afternoon out at Stadio Nacional was also fantastic.
Meeting the Lisbon Lions plus George MCCluskey and Dixie Deans was joy.
Kicking a football around that hallowed pitch was amazing.
I have to admit, I took a clump of soil from the goalmouth.
Part of it is now on the grave of a great fan who lived for Celtic.
The second piece will soon be on the grave of my great friend who died earlier this year.
SonsOfErin, minx1888,
Cheers. If FF and Rangers Media are up in arms then I must be doing something right!
Several of the deleted comments insinuated that I personally had something to do with their former club going bust! If only that were true …
If a company (any company) is liquidated owing any level of debt eg tax are those company directors prohibited from taking up a similar position for any period of time?
To be honest I’m expecting an atmosphere where unwrapping a sweetie will be heard at the other end of the ground today- so remember dont pass wind unless its silent
Paddy McCourt has the undoubted skill to play football at a fairly high level – but not, imo, the commitment, dedication or fitness required.
When he joined us we maybe believed, or hoped, that he would be another Lubo! It has not worked for him at Celtic unfortunately.
However – if he does start today or come on as a sub, I hope he has a great game! Nothing would please me more!
HH!!
NegAnon2
11:03 on
24 November, 2012
Scotland continues to become a very sinister place to live.
Meanwhile SDM is trying to ensure that investigative journalism in Scotland is put back into the middle ages.
———————————————————————————————————————
Neganon2 :
Do you not mean from the Middle Ages to the Dark Ages? There again, what came before the Dark Ages?
Thinking it will be a hard game today, injuries really affecting us now.
Hope broony doesnt start, beram and dylan do.
This week i will mainly be calling them SHAMPIONS
My feelings on the FTTT result is if HMRC decide against an appeal considering what Dr Poom has written in her dissenting opinion then HMRC will be finished as an organisation that collects tax ,if this stands they will collect tax of those who agree to pay or see you in court for those who operate “aggressive avoidance”
Celtic, I will miss you today!
I know it is for the greater ghood!
“They did it by singing about football. Pure, beautiful, inventive songs.”
TKV67 – supporting the GB since 2006.
U.T.L.R
Looking forward to the game despite the ongoing problems regarding the Green Brigade (I really hope that the club can respond to their concerns). I’m taking my 11 year old son for a lads day out.
Me and the two weans off out to support Celtic.
Hail, Hail
BGFC
I had a dream last night, hope it does not become a reality, although nothing would surprise me.
Here goes then. hunman successfully sued HMRC and were awarded damages and the dear ole SFA and their aproned friends agreed to back them. They were then reintroduced into the Premier League , given compensation for all the trouble the wee souls have sufferd, then I awoke.
Wow, I thought, could this really happen??
Hail Hail
KINGLuBO ( No more cheese on toast for supper again!!!!)
mini BT going along as usual, she said she will create the noise for the bhoys…
she will no doubt be ejected for being too loud in the ole cushioned seats..o))
Ally McCoist may or may not be stupid. Let us assume that he is not. What is he doing with his regurgitation of the ‘I will not accept titles being stripped’ stance.
IF we assume he is not stupid he will understand the difference between the investigation in to dual contracts and the FTT.
He will know that the dual contracts/ improper registration of players is about how his club concealed some payments from the footballing authorities – ironically the FTT may have some influence in this now as they have clearly stated that this is a matter of fact in at least 5 cases – DOES NOT MATTER ALISTAIR HOW THOSE PAYMENTS WERE MADE, WHAT TAX OR NOT WAS PAID ON THEM, WHETHER THOSE PAYMENTS WERE MADE IN BLUE M&M’s or COLD HARD CASH – IF YOU DON’T DECLARE THEM TO THE FOOTBALL AUTHORITIES THEN YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE IN BREACH OF REGISTRATION RULES.
So I assume McCoist understands that and that he is bleating about it along with other big rangers/ sevco players because they have another motive – ie they have a following which is largely stupid, gullible etc and they don’t want them to understand that their club custodians either deliberately or through gross negligence did not register players properly for whatever reason (you, me, Hector and Dr Poon know it was to avoid tax and gain an advantage on Celtic) and have now left their old club facing the biggest sporting scandal ever on these islands.
Did I mention that Sevco has to take the punishments for Oldcos sins as I understand it. Correct me if I’m wrong there boys.
The Simple Pie Man ain’t so daft. But you can argue balck is white all you like. It isn’t. You are wrong Mr McCoist. So wrong. But you are dangerously wrong. Once more you are creating conditions where the extremist wing of Sevco can go after the people tasked with investigating misdeeds of Rangers Old and New.
You have much to answer for. But you never will. You’ll continue to play the victim.
By the way I’ve another world record for you that all your sevconian followers should know about – you have a world record for the biggest salary of a 4th tier football manager ever you hero you.
I’m sure someone from Strathclyde police will be scanning these pages for “headline arrest” so take a look below!
Remember what the greatest Scottish manager Jock Stein said:
“football without fans is nothing”
And without fans comes no football and no Saturday afternoon Overtime!!
U.T.L.R
miki67
11:27 on 24 November, 2012 I realised at an early age I had no musical talent whatsoever.
KingLubo I can think of no grounds for them to sue HMRC action.
Twinbhoy and Big George I read your posts with a touch of envy.
davebhoy64,
didn’t catch it myself but heard Keys on talksport say CG would be on their station the day after the Benfica game to talk about such matters.
HH
Big Nan
The obvious answer is usually the correct answer.
Lawyers bottled it, influenced by either fraternal feelings or not wanting a police guard at their homes.
There is no lawyer conspiracy or them being clever a la BRTH, obvious answer, ‘them’ are under threat and calling in all their favours.
The pentangle lives
Been for my wee swim, and off to paradise with the grandson now……….can’t wait…!!!!!
And remember, despite all the LL shoite, they are deed …MISSION ACCOMPLISHED…..!!!!
Great article from Celtic Trust this morning on the SNP masterplan to whitewash sectarianism in this country.
As Philmac has touched upon before, in order to get accepted by the EU if independence gained, they need to be seen as One Nation.
Stand up for the Green Brigade if attending today.
Big George, make sure the weans don’t have a bottle of water with them!
There may be zombies dressed as police looking for another dawn raid
jake the snake @celticservant
John Hartson on dual contracts “Is that a huge crime? Is that something worth taking titles for? That’s just not right”.
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jake the snake @celticservant
John Hartson “There’s talk of Rangers now suing HMRC for lost millions – and you have to say they have a very good case”.
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jake the snake @celticservant
John Hartson “The club maybe even had a claim that they should be reinstated back into the SPL”.
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An example of what happens when no-one pays tax is Greece.
I lived and worked there for a year. People used to think I was making it up when I told them of the corrupt and Byzantine practices I came across there. Ditto Italy.
With the distance of time I started to doubt myself – did I really see that? – did that really happen?
Brave and honest men and women in Italy have paid with their lives in the fight against corruption.