How about that

[www.thestar.com]

The Stones do the same, what's your point?

Its hardly a new story.

The 8th paragraph would suggest that they do, but that the amount isnt public knowledge. (Nor should it be - how much someone earns is their own business, not yours or mine).

'Dodging' taxes isnt the same as 'totally avoiding' paying tax.

If anyone finds a legal loophole to minimise paying taxes, then its their own right to do so - and its up to their own conscience as to how much of the money they've saved they've put to good use for the benefit of others. And speculating on THAT without the full facts being available is pointless.

Its hardly the fault of four musicians that their country's economy has gone tits up, nor is them contributing a few more million euro going to fix things.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-06-24 18:00 by Gazza.

To paraphrase Leona Helmsley, only people who are even littler than Bono pay taxes.

I've nothing wrong with dodging taxes, but Bono spearheaded the Live 8 concert for forgiving African debt. That African debt was largely money from Western taxpayers. So of course Bono doesn't mind forgive that debt; it was other people's money!

The Stones were offered a slot at Live 8, and Keith said, "It was too amorphous a cause. I told Mick, `You can play the gig, but I won't.'" And Mick didn't play it. Maybe Keith was aware of the contradiction of tax dodgers preaching the forgiving of such debt,

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Title5Take1
I've nothing wrong with dodging taxes, but Bono spearheaded the Live 8 concert for forgiving African debt. That African debt was largely money from Western taxpayers. So of course Bono doesn't mind forgive that debt; it was other people's money!

Like I said earlier, you dont know that it was solely 'other people's money' unless you know for sure that he didnt make a contribution himself. And what a private individual chooses to do with their legally acquired earnings is up to them. Personally I'd love to be able to pick and choose what my taxes are used for instead of having my government use them to fund things I dont agree with.

The revenue from pretty much all charity events/concerts is derived from the people who buy the tickets. Unless the artist specifically states that they paid all their own expenses, contributed x amount of money towards the cause etc then it generally costs the performer or promoter nothing at all. Does that then totally nullify the point of all of these events?

You're not really comparing like with like anyway. A few million quid in tax from a rich musician is a drop in the ocean compared to a country's national debt. The main problem I personally have with these events is that even if the artist gives their services for free, they end up raking in an absolute fortune in royalties due to the knock on effect of performing on worldwide TV - I think there were a few acts who played Live 8 (Pink Floyd was one) who publicly stated that any profit they made in the aftermath would be donated to charity, but how do you measure that and for how long should they be expected to do it? A year? Five years? Indefinitely?

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Gazza
Its hardly a new story.

The 8th paragraph would suggest that they do, but that the amount isnt public knowledge. (Nor should it be - how much someone earns is their own business, not yours or mine).

'Dodging' taxes isnt the same as 'totally avoiding' paying tax.

If anyone finds a legal loophole to minimise paying taxes, then its their own right to do so - and its up to their own conscience as to how much of the money they've saved they've put to good use for the benefit of others. And speculating on THAT without the full facts being available is pointless.

Its hardly the fault of four musicians that their country's economy has gone tits up, nor is them contributing a few more million euro going to fix things.

Sorry Gazza, but I just think it stinks. They lobby for Governments and individuals to keep putting their hands in their pockets for the causes that are dear to their hearts, yet their own financial affairs are - at best - shrouded in secrecy. Why shouldn't they be transparent about their arrangements if they are trying to rally the world to cough up.

Why doesnt Bono declare his philanthropy (if he has any) up front like Bill Gates.

Hope he gets a (metaphorical) bloody nose at Glastonbury.

Argh U2 piss me off.....and yet, I remember watching their concert on Late night in Concert with Annie Nightingale on BBC2 - 1982??? I will follow. Loved that.

Not been much of a fan since.

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Koen
The Stones do the same, what's your point?

The same as that of the guy interviewed. Bono preaches one thing and does another.

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letitloose

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Gazza
Its hardly a new story.

The 8th paragraph would suggest that they do, but that the amount isnt public knowledge. (Nor should it be - how much someone earns is their own business, not yours or mine).

'Dodging' taxes isnt the same as 'totally avoiding' paying tax.

If anyone finds a legal loophole to minimise paying taxes, then its their own right to do so - and its up to their own conscience as to how much of the money they've saved they've put to good use for the benefit of others. And speculating on THAT without the full facts being available is pointless.

Its hardly the fault of four musicians that their country's economy has gone tits up, nor is them contributing a few more million euro going to fix things.

Sorry Gazza, but I just think it stinks. They lobby for Governments and individuals to keep putting their hands in their pockets for the causes that are dear to their hearts, yet their own financial affairs are - at best - shrouded in secrecy. Why shouldn't they be transparent about their arrangements if they are trying to rally the world to cough up.

Why doesnt Bono declare his philanthropy (if he has any) up front like Bill Gates.

How many people do this? Seriously? If he did that, he'd get slagged off for it as well.

Dont get me wrong, I agree that it looks bad and its easy to find the guy tiresome, but someone's wealth and what they do with that wealth is their own business and for their own conscience. Without the full picture, its not really for us to comment. Maybe he donates 50 million a quid a year to charity out of the tax he's saved. Maybe he donates nothing. Maybe its something in between. We dont know.

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The same as that of the guy interviewed. Bono preaches one thing and does another

.


And you know this, how? You have access to his accounts?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-06-24 21:33 by Gazza.

I can understand why some rich people try to avoid paying HUGE taxes knowing that the money they will give is going to be used advisedely by the state ,whatever the country is.

The bit I find hugely amusing about all this is that you have a group of people who've paid £300 to go to Glastonbury, stand in the mud and rain and piss and shit, to tell Bono he should pay his taxes.

Meanwhile, Bono's getting paid to be there. Someoneone somewhere's an idiot. And it ain't him.

LOL..and they risk getting a kicking into the bargain as well!

Some people are really desperate to go out of their way to be offended!

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Gazza
Its hardly a new story.

The 8th paragraph would suggest that they do, but that the amount isnt public knowledge. (Nor should it be - how much someone earns is their own business, not yours or mine).

'Dodging' taxes isnt the same as 'totally avoiding' paying tax.

If anyone finds a legal loophole to minimise paying taxes, then its their own right to do so - and its up to their own conscience as to how much of the money they've saved they've put to good use for the benefit of others. And speculating on THAT without the full facts being available is pointless.

Its hardly the fault of four musicians that their country's economy has gone tits up, nor is them contributing a few more million euro going to fix things.

absolutely correct. Dodging and avoiding are two different things. I should know, I enforce these kind of laws.

Well, in my book he will always be a hypocrite. Trying to avoid taxes and then make a fuzz about charities. By the way, a person's income is official document, at least in my country.

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Gazza
......their country's economy has gone tits up

That sounds like it should be a good thing.

I have never heard of anyone wanting to pay MORE taxes.

And I don't even think Bono is being hypocritical here. For all I know, he could donating tens of millions to charity.

Are U2 scheduled to go onstage after this abject performance from Morrissey? He's not exactly warming up the crowd for them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-06-24 23:35 by Thricenay.

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Thricenay
Are U2 scheduled to go onstage after this abject performance from Morrissey? He's not exactly warming up the crowd for them.

He's making them look good.

I saw Moz supporting Bowie at Wembley Arena in 1995. Three times. The first night he was good - up for it, engaged and dead good.

But Bowie came on and you forgot Moz had ever been there.

The next two nights Moz was dispirited. The place was a third full and half the people there were waiting for Bowie. "Don't worry," he saud. "David'll be on soon".

Keith said "I've been doing this too long. People play those charity concerts to further their careers."

As Dustin Hoffman told PLAYBOY about why he campaigned for politicians, "I've got to admit that some of me worked for McCarthy, McGovern, Ramsey Clark, Allard Lowenstein and others because all of that free exposure kept me in the public eye."

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Thricenay
Are U2 scheduled to go onstage after this abject performance from Morrissey? He's not exactly warming up the crowd for them.

Did he demand that the audience honour him by observing a day of no meat eating prior to his performance, like he did at the recent Feesten Music Festival in Belgium?

[www.ecorazzi.com]

Nothing like sanctimonious veganism to really get a crowd going.

Violence erupts as U2 rocks Glastonbury

U2 and its frontman Bono, known for their global poverty-fighting efforts, were accused of dodging taxes in Ireland by activists who crashed their performance at England's Glastonbury festival.
The anti-capitalist group Art Uncut inflated a 6-metre balloon emblazoned with the message "U Pay Your Tax 2." Security guards wrestled them to the ground before deflating the balloon and taking it away. About 30 people were involved in the angry clash.
Bono fan Gary Noble, 45, said he found the security response "all a bit shocking."


I love U2 but I think everyone should pay their taxes. The campaigners have a right to voice their opinion," he said.
Art Uncut argues that while Bono campaigns against poverty in the developing world, his group has avoided paying Irish taxes at a time when his austerity-hit country desperately needs money.
Ireland, which has already accepted an international bailout, is suffering through deep spending cuts, tax hikes and rising unemployment as it tries to pull the debt-burdened economy back from brink of bankruptcy."


CAN'T SAY THAT I BLAME THEM. BONO IS A HYPOCRITE , TAX DODGER

Read more: [www.smh.com.au]

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mitchflorida
Violence erupts as U2 rocks Glastonbury

U2 and its frontman Bono, known for their global poverty-fighting efforts, were accused of dodging taxes in Ireland by activists who crashed their performance at England's Glastonbury festival.
The anti-capitalist group Art Uncut inflated a 6-metre balloon emblazoned with the message "U Pay Your Tax 2." Security guards wrestled them to the ground before deflating the balloon and taking it away. About 30 people were involved in the angry clash.
Bono fan Gary Noble, 45, said he found the security response "all a bit shocking."


I love U2 but I think everyone should pay their taxes. The campaigners have a right to voice their opinion," he said.
Art Uncut argues that while Bono campaigns against poverty in the developing world, his group has avoided paying Irish taxes at a time when his austerity-hit country desperately needs money.
Ireland, which has already accepted an international bailout, is suffering through deep spending cuts, tax hikes and rising unemployment as it tries to pull the debt-burdened economy back from brink of bankruptcy."


CAN'T SAY THAT I BLAME THEM. BONO IS A HYPOCRITE , TAX DODGER

Read more: [www.smh.com.au]

What he said, Mitch.

I really dislike Bono, he's a self-righteous knob. Tip of the hat to the protesters. I'd love to have been part of that!!

I cant fault people for (avoiding taxes) wanting to keep as much money as possible....
I cant fault people for protesting people like Bono avoiding his taxes...
I cant stand pop artists who preach politics, or ideology, from the stage.

I cant stand pop artists who preach politics, or ideology, from the stage.

That's why we love the Stones...........

__________________________

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NICOS
I cant stand pop artists who preach politics, or ideology, from the stage.

That's why we love the Stones...........

Perfecto

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Max'sKansasCity

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NICOS
I cant stand pop artists who preach politics, or ideology, from the stage.

That's why we love the Stones...........

Perfecto

Probably what Bono thinks about tax

Believe me, there is no jealousy from me when I say that it's unacceptable that some rich people do everything to escape paying taxes. I mean it's not an example of citizenship and responsability. Would you teach your children to do that ?
I won't.
All in with privileges...I think like a french man because we had a revolution that had this dream to get rid of privileges even if it sounds like utopia.
Please, let's stay together...let's share rights and duties.

Il est temps d'arrêter les conneries ! (french comment)

Having criticized Bono for avoiding taxes I will emphasize that I do not support the criticism of his political awareness, on the contrary I support it. Even the sun has its spots, apparently. Nobody is perfect.

Can you imagine the inflatable palm tree holders at 2006 concerts being ill-treated by security because it would be considered insulting?