Number of foreigners claiming tax credits 'unknown', ministers admit

[les_taxi]

If someone actually made £110,000 selling the big issue then well done them! They are obviously very good salesmen. Earning this much as a self employed person they would have had to produce accounts and probably would of engaged an accountant. ....and YES consequently didnt pay tax or very little.

Given that most people ignore Big Issue sellers this is an amazing result. Selling this magazine is NOT an easy option and sellers have to buy copies of the magazine in the first place.

The most i have ever heard a seller shout is "BIG ISSUE" and as for looking intimidating I dont see that someone would deliberately do that in order to sell something thats going to make them a living.

Your right that the magazine doesnt attract the public attention and few people seem to want it, which is why being a seller is NOT an easy option or way to make vast sums of money. It does however serve to provide a little income to help homeless people get a roof over their heads.

There are people in this country less fortunate than ourselves that have to try selling the BI to try and get themselves out of poverty and homelessness. Faced with similar circumstances i would jump at the chance of ANY work to change myself for the better. Getting a job, particularly if you dont have a permanent address, is very difficult when you have few skills and during a recession when jobs are few.

I assume as your title is Les taxi that you probably drive a taxi for a living. Well by comparison i would think your role is a lot easier and more lucrative. A taxi driver just sits in a car all day, takes money and drives and in between fares sits and does nothing! Now let me see who is working harder?

Right Lordna let's take this in order
I will try not to get to personal as I've nothing against you personally but I find you incredibly naive
Ok regarding Big Issue seller who made all that money do you really think he paid out anywhere near what he earned?
The big issue sellers pay for the magazines can't remember how much but say it was 60p and sold for a £1 he makes 40p at time-but remember most people especially the little old dears give him a pound and don't take the mag!
I bet he declares that to his big issue supplier and the taxman (not)
I heard one big issue seller swearing at someone as he declined to buy the rubbish,at the least some are sarcastic if you refuse.
The whole big issue thing is a waste of time-what would happen if we all decided to give up our "proper jobs" and sell it?
What would the country produce-who would make goods,put out fires,save lives if we all did that.
Our roads are knackered,always rubbish to clear up,maybe form groups to ensure children walk safely to school-i'm sure grateful parents would happily pay a £1 for not having to get the car out every morning-plus it benifits the rest of us.
I will never ever accept the big issue is anything more than a cop out,sat on a bloody stool eating a Marks and Spencer sandwich then getting a taxi home -unbelivable
Right on to Les the lazy Taxi driver
Ok here are a few figures for you to come and join me in my lazy dream filled day.
Ok lets start with a decent car-couple of years old form mondeo approx £9000 plus kitted out to be a taxi another £500
Now move on to taxi plate I have approx £11,000 at todays rates
Ok now the cost of becoming a shareholder where I am now £18,500
Right lets add on fuel per year plus repairs,crb checks,local council licencing etc etc say another£10,000
Oh nearly forgot my rent to operate within the office £8,000
Right thats most of my costs now Lordna do you think I can potter round all day picking up an odd fare and cover all my costs and make an operating profit and pay my tax?
Luckily i work hard sit maybe 5 mins between jobs-sometimes not sit at all as we are the top local company.
i work probably 6 days a week often 10 hours per day sometimes more.
I have to contend with drunks,threats of violence,idiots,carrying little old lady's shoppin up 3 flights of stairs,people not being there when i have driven 5 miles,runners,pukers,drunk women unable to stand,blokes wanting to have a go,(even had gun in car brandished about)
Much easier life than a Big Issue seller as you can see
No car to day it was my compliance test and mot and a warning light came on due to faulty a.b.s sensor so no earnings today and probably not til late tmrw
MAYBE I CAN SELL A FEW BIG ISSUES WHILE I WAIT

[lordna]

Right Lordna let's take this in order
I will try not to get to personal as I've nothing against you personally but I find you incredibly naive
Ok regarding Big Issue seller who made all that money do you really think he paid out anywhere near what he earned?
The big issue sellers pay for the magazines can't remember how much but say it was 60p and sold for a £1 he makes 40p at time-but remember most people especially the little old dears give him a pound and don't take the mag!
I bet he declares that to his big issue supplier and the taxman (not)
I heard one big issue seller swearing at someone as he declined to buy the rubbish,at the least some are sarcastic if you refuse.
The whole big issue thing is a waste of time-what would happen if we all decided to give up our "proper jobs" and sell it?
What would the country produce-who would make goods,put out fires,save lives if we all did that.
Our roads are knackered,always rubbish to clear up,maybe form groups to ensure children walk safely to school-i'm sure grateful parents would happily pay a £1 for not having to get the car out every morning-plus it benifits the rest of us.
I will never ever accept the big issue is anything more than a cop out,sat on a bloody stool eating a Marks and Spencer sandwich then getting a taxi home -unbelivable
Right on to Les the lazy Taxi driver
Ok here are a few figures for you to come and join me in my lazy dream filled day.
Ok lets start with a decent car-couple of years old form mondeo approx £9000 plus kitted out to be a taxi another £500
Now move on to taxi plate I have approx £11,000 at todays rates
Ok now the cost of becoming a shareholder where I am now £18,500
Right lets add on fuel per year plus repairs,crb checks,local council licencing etc etc say another£10,000
Oh nearly forgot my rent to operate within the office £8,000
Right thats most of my costs now Lordna do you think I can potter round all day picking up an odd fare and cover all my costs and make an operating profit and pay my tax?
Luckily i work hard sit maybe 5 mins between jobs-sometimes not sit at all as we are the top local company.
i work probably 6 days a week often 10 hours per day sometimes more.
I have to contend with drunks,threats of violence,idiots,carrying little old lady's shoppin up 3 flights of stairs,people not being there when i have driven 5 miles,runners,pukers,drunk women unable to stand,blokes wanting to have a go,(even had gun in car brandished about)
Much easier life than a Big Issue seller as you can see
No car to day it was my compliance test and mot and a warning light came on due to faulty a.b.s sensor so no earnings today and probably not til late tmrw
MAYBE I CAN SELL A FEW BIG ISSUES WHILE I WAIT

Well i didnt really think Taxi driving was that easy...BUT i did think my remarks would provoke a commment from you on what its really like. What i was aiming at illustrating is that youi probably know as little about whats involved in selling the Big Issue as i do about the work of driving a taxi.

I believe sellers buy at about £1.25 or £1.50 and sell at double that. Given that most people ignore sellers i guess they could sell about 5 or at best 10 copies in an hour. In an 8 hour day thats 80 copies a day or say 400 in a 5 day week. lets say they make £1.50 for each one then earnings could be £600 but more likely £300. Thats for a 40 hour week.
Doing the figures thats not a bad income....BUT what i am trying to illustrate is they probably have to stand there a long time to earn a good income.

However it also shows you would be better off selling the Big Issue! hahaha

[fred]

Well i didnt really think Taxi driving was that easy...BUT i did think my remarks would provoke a commment from you on what its really like. What i was aiming at illustrating is that youi probably know as little about whats involved in selling the Big Issue as i do about the work of driving a taxi.

I believe sellers buy at about £1.25 or £1.50 and sell at double that. Given that most people ignore sellers i guess they could sell about 5 or at best 10 copies in an hour. In an 8 hour day thats 80 copies a day or say 400 in a 5 day week. lets say they make £1.50 for each one then earnings could be £600 but more likely £300. Thats for a 40 hour week.
Doing the figures thats not a bad income....BUT what i am trying to illustrate is they probably have to stand there a long time to earn a good income.

However it also shows you would be better off selling the Big Issue! hahaha

You know what Les.... I think he may be right!!
If you could get the Mrs doing it too,thats 600 notes a week ...tax free!!