U2 to face tax protest at gig in Glastonbury

Brendan Burgess

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Protesters are plotting disruption at U2’s long-awaited headline gig at Glastonbury tonight.
The Irish band is expected to face a visual protest from campaigners angry at the group’s alleged tax avoidance in Ireland.
Direct action group Art Uncut is planning to unfurl a giant inflatable before the BBC cameras as the band take to the Pyramid Stage.
 
This was on the radio few weeks ago.
U2 is a large corporation who pay some tax in Holland. As far as I know the band members still pay their income tax here.
 
Why aren't they protesting outside to Dail to get the laws changed rather than targeting U2? Are they going to protest outside Google, Intel or another large multinational employer?

They should take some drugs and enjoy the show like everyone else.
 
I thought the issue was that U2 were quick to lecture the government on how much of taxpayers (our) money should be spent on forgien aid. But when the government changed the artist exemption and it meant they would have to contribute more to the excheqer, they moved their business operation to Holland.
Do as I say, not as I do?
 

To be fair, Bono lectures. Always strikes me that the rest of U2 couldn't give a damn!
Everyone is guilty of double standards when it comes to tax. People took advantage of shopping in the North when VAT was much lower but still gave out about the state of our health system.
 
I think it's just the music publishing part of their operations that moved to NL.
 

The two positions are, IMHO, compatible. Multinationals are in this country because of the favourable treatment for corporate taxation. U2 moved some of their business to the Netherlands to reduce their tax bill. Bono is 20% of U2. His campaign is not that of the band.

They all live and pay income tax in Ireland. As citizens and taxpayers, each of us are entitled to articulate an opinion on how that money should be spent. Bono's profile means his opinions are heard more readily that yours or mine.

Bono's campaign is to Government in general, and not limited to Ireland.
 


I don't think it's appropriate for someone who, presumably benefits hugely from the artist's tax exemption and from the relocation of his company to the Netherlands to mouth on about how we should give more to the third world. If he wants to, he can give some of the tax he has avoided to the third world.

I agree that there is a strong hypocrisy in Ireland in complaining about people using tax havens to avoid Irish tax when we are one of the biggest tax havens ourselves.

Brendan
 

Not sure. They still pay their tax obligations whether it is here or in some other Country and he is lecturing every Country not just Ireland. They are a global company just like any other multi-national. It's like saying that because I avail of tax relief for my pension contributions, I am not entitled to ask for more money to be spent on education.

He bores me when he goes on about it but I don't think he is a hypocrite. Reminds me of that joke of when they were doing a concert in Croke Park and he starting clicking his fingers saying every click meant a child had died in Africa and a guy shouts, 'well stop ******* doing it then'.
 

Very well said. I fully agree. I admire people like Bono and Bob Geldof immensely for what they do for the third world.
 
2 points - first is that, to best of my recollection the artists exemption is now subject to the high earner restriction, so effectively they pay 30% tax

I also heard a rumour they transferred the publishing back to Ireland.

Even if these celebs are doing it out of ego I can guarantee Bono has done more for the third world than most of us. Even if you argue there's some hypocrisy, some good is some good, everyone seems obsessed with purity and saintliness - would people be happier if he said nothing and counted his millions or more important would the plight of Africans be better if he said never started his boring self-righteous campaigns - lets suffer the man for the greater good if thats how you feel about it.
 
Well said Betsy Og.
The artists exemption is limited to the first €250k. That may sound like alot but many artists will have no income for a few years and then get paid for three years of work in a few weeks.

BTW, I ended up watching about an hour of the gig last night. It was excellent.
 
Who are the protesters? Irish?
Spending all their hard earned cash or social welfare (I know of two that went over who are not working)

Very patriotic.
 
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