Ashcroft tax row resurfaces
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Conservative Party donor Lord Ashcroft has reopened the controversy surrounding his tax affairs by questioning whether the Government expects UK citizens to maximise the amount they pay to the Treasury.
The peer, who stood down as the Tory deputy chairman last month, admitted in March that he was a "non-dom". His status has since changed following a new law that forces members of the Commons and Lords to be resident in the UK for tax purposes.
In a written question, Lord Ashcroft asked whether the Government "expects citizens to organise their tax affairs to maximise tax payable". The Treasury minister Lord Sassoon replied: "The Government expects citizens to pay tax due by law. It will take action against tax avoidance schemes that claim to produce results completely at odds with the intentions of Parliament.
"That is why the Government supports the Code of Conduct on Taxation for banks and is asking them to adopt it by the end of November 2010." When Lord Ashcroft admitted that he was a non-dom there was an outcry from Labour and the Liberal Democrats who accused him of failing to honour pledges given when he was made a peer a decade earlier.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments