MPs demand UK royal tax affairs probe

In a report on the Duchy of Cornwall’s accounts, Parliament’s spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), asked the Treasury to probe whether the estate’s exemption from corporation and capital gains tax creates unfair advantage over rival businesses.

“The Duchy enjoys an exemption from paying tax even though it engages in a range of commercial activities, said Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, adding that the property’s tax exemption may give it an unfair advantage over competitors that pay their tax share.

He also criticized the way the British Treasury has handled the Duchy’s accounts and said “The Treasury does not do enough to properly scrutinize the Duchy’s finances”.

Earlier in July, the PAC questioned Charles’s top aides on why the Duchy is registered as a private estate rather than a corporation despite its financial transactions.

The committee also called on Charles to publish a detailed breakdown of his alleged £10 million expenses.

Charles claims only £9 million out of his £19 million income is eligible for income tax, which he is not legally required to pay, because of his high expenses.

The 532-square-kilometer Duchy of Cornwall was created some 700 years ago as a source of income for the heir to the British throne.

It includes residential and commercial properties, mainly in South West England, including London’s iconic Oval cricket ground.

MOS/HN/HE

Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/11/05/333100/mps-demand-uk-royal-tax-affairs-probe/

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