As the lines blur between “tax avoidance” and “tax evasion”, it is easy to forget that many of these celebrities and high profile figures are not monsters, just talented individuals who transfer the fruits of their labour to a third party; their adviser.
Take Katie Melua. The singer has come under fire left, right and centre in the last month for her investments into tax avoidance scheme Liberty, even being dubbed a “fallen hero” by Christian Aid, to whom she was previously labelled a “tax super hero”.
Little notice was taken earlier this week when she admitted that she was “clueless” about tax avoidance herself, and had merely acted upon the guidance of her adviser.
The dilemma of the avoidance/evasion dichotomy raises one serious question; Is it fair to personally pursue high profile figures for pursuing perfectly legal means of tax mitigation?
