Osborne’s crusade

‘Tax evasion is morally repugnant. It’s stealing from law-abiding people who face higher taxes to make good the lost revenue.

Those who evade taxes, like benefit cheats, are leeches on society. And my message to those who try to hide their incomes from the Revenue in offshore bank accounts and false declarations is simple: we will find you and your money.’

That was written by George Osborne in today’s Observer. He promises that the deal with Switzerland is “just the start” of his campaign to close tax havens. The rest of the article then relates the coalition’s achievements at reducing tax avoidance by increasing charges on capital gains and non-domiciled taxpayers working in Britain. Osborne contrasts his swift measures with 13 years of inaction under Gordon Brown, who, of course, rejected a similar deal with Switzerland ten years ago. As Osborne puts it, “The last government presided over a bonanza of tax evasion and avoidance.”