Solving tax issue

George Kerevan’s problem of corporate tax avoidance (Business, 18 May) would be easily solved – if the European Union agreed – by abolishing all corporate taxes.

Companies have no votes, so – on the principle of “no taxation without representation” – they should not be taxed, be it 
corporation tax, employers’ national insurance, or business 
rates (though fair payments for specific services rendered would remain).

This would force us, the voters, to underwrite with our wallets all the public expenditure for which we have voted, without partial reliance on corporate milch-cows within the HM Revenue and 
Customs’ (HMRC) net. But 
few politicians in the UK or EU acknowledge this democratic deficit.

Implemented in a short transition period, the sums “saved” would be paid by law as increased wages to both private and public sector employees (and in certain benefits) on a fair national or regional scale, all of which would then be taxed equitably on individuals.

The apparent difficulty of taxing global firms such as Amazon, Starbucks, Google et al would disappear; and HMRC, local councils, tax professionals and industry could release an army of bureaucrats into more productive employment.

John Birkett

Horseleys Park

St Andrews, Fife