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#91

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Legbiter - June 04, 2023, 11:25:08 AM

Yeah heavy fighting in Belgorod today. Either the vatniks cede a lot of ground there or they rush in reinforcements needed to man the line in Ukraine...

#92

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - June 04, 2023, 11:22:33 AM

The problem doesn't appear to inheritance tax, but that there's a loophole of passing assets while still alive at a more favourable rate then once you're dead.

There's a push against inheritance tax at the minute and it is an unpopular tax. Ben Ansell who's an Oxford professor who specialises in inequality says he thinks it's the issue where there's the biggest gulf between the opinion of the general public and left/liberal-ish types like me who think it's good.

It's not a loophole per se - it's more when do you include gifts in someone's estate. You're allowed to get a certain amount of gifts tax free. But if you get the gift in the seven years before someone dies then and it's above the threshold, then, on their death, it gets added back into their estate for inheritance tax (40% headline rate). Although there's a taper over those 7 years, so if you got it six years before someone dies you only pay 8% on that gift.

If a gift is property and there's a difference in value now compared to what it cost to buy, then you need to pay capital gains tax on the gains.

I may be talking nonsense as this is just from my memory of law school where for some reason, regardless of the type of law you were planning to work in, everyone had to do a unit on wills which included lots of working out which gifts were subject to which taxes

#93

Off the Record / Re: What does a BIDEN Presiden...

Last post by PJL - June 04, 2023, 11:20:37 AM

No. I'm pretty confident after the coup attempt trump has no chance.
Im far more worried of someone just as shitty as trump but without the taint and maybe some competence.

I disagree, your constant naievity on this continues to surprise me. I would be very surprised if Trump wasn't re-elected next time. Populists are very good at getting re-elected if they fail first time. Also the 2020 elections were pretty unique in their circumstances, I can't see that happening again. The only saving grace with Trump is this he is very impulsive and prone to short term thinking, and would not be as effective in his agenda as someone like De Santis.

#94

Off the Record / Re: What does a BIDEN Presiden...

Last post by OttoVonBismarck - June 04, 2023, 11:16:15 AM

No. I'm pretty confident after the coup attempt trump has no chance.
Im far more worried of someone just as shitty as trump but without the taint and maybe some competence.

Trump's polling now in a general in the mid-40s. This is exactly where he polled and actually finished up in both 2020 and 2016. Mid-40s isn't an easy win, but as 2016 shows, if the conditions are right, it can win you the electoral college.

#95

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by HVC - June 04, 2023, 11:05:18 AM

The problem doesn't appear to inheritance tax, but that there's a loophole of passing assets while still alive at a more favourable rate then once you're dead.

#96

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - June 04, 2023, 11:01:44 AM

From Economist British politics correspondent - of the Telegraph (paywall so I can't get in)

Matthew Holehouse
@mattholehouse
Alan Bennett could not have written it better. Deep, deep England.

The voice I imagine reading this is Hyacinth Bucket worrying about Sheridan.

Also a great example of why English trust law emerged. The tangled but deeply felt desires to pass your wealth onto your descendents, use it to control them and to avoid tax

#97

Off the Record / Re: What does a BIDEN Presiden...

Last post by Josquius - June 04, 2023, 09:59:40 AM

No. I'm pretty confident after the coup attempt trump has no chance.
Im far more worried of someone just as shitty as trump but without the taint and maybe some competence.

#98

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by Sheilbh - June 04, 2023, 09:57:47 AM

I think he looks like the bully in an 80s Hollywood high school movie, probably called something like Biff.

Shouldn't hold it against him, but here we are.

#99

Off the Record / Re: Football (Soccer) Thread

Last post by Josquius - June 04, 2023, 09:51:03 AM

Thought to watch the final but missed it. City roll on. Sigh. I guess at this point accelerationism is the best hope.

Incidentally. Serious question. Why does Erling Haaland look so weird? Can't put my finger on just what it is about him but he looks off.

#100

Off the Record / Re: A New Sudanese Civil War?

Last post by Josquius - June 04, 2023, 09:34:20 AM

More terrible stories now emerging, like the orphanage in Khartoum housing hundreds of now largely abandoned children, fifty of whom have now died of hunger/neglect.

Yeah, really sad one. Quite a fucked situation.
Hard to see what could be done though even if the west cared. There's not really a clear "these are the guys to bomb"