Are the MP's in Government hypocrites?

When a hard working man dies, and his house has gone up in value inheritance tax kicks in. And as said by a member of the Government it is unearnd money, and therefore tax has not been paid on it. So why can an MP through expences get a house for which they have not paid, walk away with a fortune and not pay a penny in tax.

cos they fiddle just like a dodgy accountant...! and they are all liars

Hypocrites in the extreme. We are made to give, they take. No accountability to us who pay for their extravagances.
A true case of 'do as I say, don't do as I do'!!
We don't get our Council Tax, tv licence, food on expenses either.

Well, look at these examples ... I think the answer is pretty clear:

The tax rules for MPs

1. Two-thirds of the Cabinet are being chauffeured around in "gas guzzlers" (on which they pay no tax) which the Government wants to tax off the road for the rest of us

2. Ministers get their cars tax free because it is essential for their jobs

3. MPs can furnish their homes on 鈥榚xpenses鈥?

4. MPs only have to provide receipts for expenses over 拢25 (previously 拢250).

5. Westminster鈥檚 鈥榣ack of systems鈥?for record keeping mean that police cannot prosecute expense fiddling

6. MPs have preserved a 1/40ths final salary pension scheme for themselves paid for by the taxpayer.

7. MPs can claim up to 15 return journeys a year for spouses or children

8. MPs can claim up to 拢400 a month on food without receipts

9. There are currently no rules to stop MPs employing their spouse or other relative and paying them using the staffing allowance of over 拢90,000 per year

10. The standard package available for MPs is three PCs, printers and scanners worth about 拢3,000

11. MPs get up to 拢37,281 tax free even if they quit of their own accord.


The tax rules for us
1. 鈥渋t is right that if people choose to buy a more polluting car that they should pay more in the first year to reflect the environmental cost鈥?鈥?Chancellor Alistair Darling, Budget Speech 2008.

2. We pay massive rates of tax (unrelated to the amount of our personal use) on company provided cars, even when our job relies on it

3. We are required to prove that expenses have been incurred wholly and exclusively for our business.

4. All records which are required to enable the company to make a correct and complete return must be kept. This specifically includes records of all receipts and expenses that arise in the course of the company鈥檚 business

5. Your business has to keep 鈥榮ufficient鈥?records to enable it to make a correct and complete Tax Return. 鈥楽ufficient鈥?records include details of all receipts and expenses incurred in the course of your company鈥檚 activities and of what they relate to. If your company does not keep records, the government can charge a penalty of up to 拢3,000

6. Final salary pension schemes 鈥榳ill be history鈥?by 2012

7. We can only claim travel expenses 鈥榳holly and exclusively鈥?for the purposes of our business.

8. To qualify for a deduction food must be attributable to the business travel and are additional to any costs that the employee would incur if it were not for the business travel.

9. The government鈥檚 consultation on 鈥榠ncome shifting鈥?is trying to stop ordinary business people employing family members in a tax efficient way

10. The home computers initiative, where employees were allowed subsidised computer equipment by their employer, was withdrawn by the government

11. You get no tax free allowance if you retire or quit your job. If you are made redundant you can have up to 拢30,000 tax free


Does one set of rules for them and\ a different set of rules for us make them hypocrites? Hmmmmmm, tough one that...