The Tories say they want to abolish stamp duty on homes under £250k for first-time buyers, and that to pay for it they will impose a flat fee of £25k per year on the estimated 150,000-plus people in this country who claim non-domiciled tax status. For Labour, which is supposed to be keen on taxing the rich, this touches a raw political nerve.
When Brown was in opposition all those years ago he said - to Labour cheers - that he would do something about the non-doms, but he has done absolutely nothing. Nowadays Labour says we cannot tax rich foreigners in case they take their money elsewhere - and there is something in that.
But Britain is a far softer touch in this respect than most other countries. So how would the Tories' £25k flat fee compare with the competition in the rest of Europe?
In Switzerland, our obvious rival in the 
|
Gordon Brown should tax the rich
Tropical paradises for corrupt practices
