Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Actually, Amazon are cheaper because of their economies of scale and low-overhead structure being only an online retailer. Waterstone don't pay taxes either as they have been operating at a loss.


That's not to say I support Amazon's business practices (some of which under anti-competition laws are illegal) but let's not conflate things. If you think the extra money you will spend buying books at Waterstone is going to help fill HMRC's coffers, that won't necessarily be the case.

Amazon is a business, and they want to make a profit. They are not breaking any laws, so fair play IMO.


I'm not saying that I don't think they should pay more tax here, but laws need to be changed rather than MPs whinging about morals.


Besides, I save loads of money using Amazon.

What a hero


the-e-dealer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Amazon are cheaper because they don't pay their

> fair whack of tax. I'm actively trying to use non

> amazon products- Cancelled Love film in favour of

> Netflix. Buying from Ebay Shops etc.

Amazon do not charge for delivery unless you want it quicker, there is also a choice of obtaining it from the non Amazon dealers on each of the pages, but although cheaper the postage might be more than getting it from Amazon direct.

A problem with The Book People is you can only get ?25 worth of books free of postage, never mind the points that you accumulate they will vanish after a year.

Amazon is my choice for any book of reference.

I don't agree, Otta. Just because legal loopholes exist, doesn't mean it's morally OK to exploit them.


Saying that, I reckon almost all large companies do questionable things in the name of tax "efficiency", and I agree that the only way of stopping it is to tighten up the law. Pulic outrage is short lived.

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I don't agree, Otta. Just because legal loopholes

> exist, doesn't mean it's morally OK to exploit

> them.

>

> Saying that, I reckon almost all large companies

> do questionable things in the name of tax

> "efficiency", and I agree that the only way of

> stopping it is to tighten up the law. Pulic

> outrage is short lived.



Don't get me wrong, I never said it was morally okay, I think it's morally wrong. What I am saying is that rather than acting all shocked that the MASSIVE business has chosen to act in morally questionable way, the powers that be in this country should close the loop holes.

Thanks HMB - Its good that some people actually do something rather than just moaning the more the better.

I hear NO-Bucks are also going to start

paying some tax. Progress. Power to the People.


Help-Ma-Boab Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What a hero

>

> the-e-dealer Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Amazon are cheaper because they don't pay their

> > fair whack of tax. I'm actively trying to use

> non

> > amazon products- Cancelled Love film in favour

> of

> > Netflix. Buying from Ebay Shops etc.

Wind of hypocrisy blows through ED -


So some firms practice tax avoidance, is that really news to anyone?


I thought we'd come to terms with this when all the major pop stars etc. started to practice it back in the 80s, or when it was revealed that over 25% of FTSE 100 companies practice it.


Is there really anyone out there who didn't know what a tax haven was and/or how that principle worked?


Do you know the taxes paid by every company you use for any and everything? Are you also fully informed as to their ethical practices? Their use of cheap foreign labour and the dodgy regimes they may help to fund?


And at the next election when ALL politicians will be telling us how they will make sure you don't have to pay more tax in future, will you be telling them to get stuffed and to please increase tax to 30+% to pay for a higher level of services?


Yes I know there's a budget 'Chancellor's Statement' coming and pension tax relief will probably be walloped and it aint fair but look - there's a royal sprog on the way so it isn't all bad :)

Amazon has a lower cost structure even without taking tax into account. Now, their sheer size gives them the ability to negotiate better pricing due to volume than their competitors (in the same way the chain bookstores are able to against local indie bookshops). This combined with their huge book catalog that can be searched for by topic, the ability to read reviews and their fast shipping service has helped them dominate the market.


Now that they are in this dominant position, many in publishing accuse them of engaging in illegal anti-trust behavior regarding pricing to push competitors into bankruptcy. However, a group of publishers and Apple have recently been sued by the US government for an anti-trust price fixing scandal regarding e-books so let?s not pretend we have a perfect dichotomy of good and evil here.


Amazon can be praised and condemned for a lot but the tax issue is not really why they are cheaper. The UK government could end its tax treaty with tax havens but it does not want to for a host of reasons. Buy more expensive books if you want to but what you are largely funding is a less efficient business model rather than filling the government?s coffers.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...