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Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall - Author Archive

The Guardian fails to understand Google’s taxes

A quite wonderful piece of failure here by The Guardian on the subject of Google’s taxes today.

They’ve noticed that Google doesn’t pay very much tax in the UK. OK, fine, … (read more)

Posted: 1st, October 2013 | In: Money | Comments (2)

If The Capitalists Ship Our Jobs To China They’ll Be just Fine With The Minimum Wage, Right?

A VERY nice little piece of logic from Don Boudreaux over in the US. We do all agree that capitalists are swine, I hope? That profit is the only thing … (read more)

Posted: 1st, October 2013 | In: Money | Comment

If the minimum wage is such a great idea why do we punish those who don’t pay it with a fine?

THIS is a very clever way of looking at the minimum wage:
The most direct evidence that advocates for minimum wage laws do not believe their own argument is the fact … (read more)

Posted: 30th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

It’s not just Apple’s iOS 7 that causes motion sickness

FOLLOWING on from last week’s news that users of Apple’s new operating system, iOS 7, were starting to feel motion sickness as a result of using it (and yes, up … (read more)

Posted: 30th, September 2013 | In: Technology | Comment

Glory Be! Ed Miliband has brought back price controls

ED Miliband has rather stunned the business world with his announcement that if Labour’s elected next time they’re going to bring back price controls. Because, you know, Ed Miliband, in … (read more)

Posted: 27th, September 2013 | In: Money, Politicians | Comment

Candy Crush Saga maker files for IPO: but are they a one hit wonder?

THE makers of Candy Crush Saga have filed for their IPO over on Nasdaq in the US. That they’re an English company floating over there is interesting but of rather … (read more)

Posted: 27th, September 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

There are bad Bitcoin investments and then there are terrible ones

YOU can mix and match these around either way you like: one is fairly obviously a scam and the other one just doesn’t make any sense in any financial manner. … (read more)

Posted: 26th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Netflix and BitTorrent: If you let people buy things then they won’t steal them

TWO interesting little bits about Netflix, the online on demand film and TV show service.

The first one is that they monitor what people are stealing over the BitTorrents to see … (read more)

Posted: 26th, September 2013 | In: Money, Technology, The Consumer | Comment

Yes of course Ed Davey’s lying about fracking?

YOU know, politician, lips moving and all that. But how he’s lying is just as important as grasping the fact that he is lying. Each particular thing that he says … (read more)

Posted: 25th, September 2013 | In: Money, Politicians | Comment (1)

The Robin Hood Tax is illegal so yah boo suckers

INTERESTING news for those who support the Robin Hood Tax, or as it’s really called, the European Union’s Financial Transactions Tax. It’s illegal.
So much for Europe’s great sprint to tax … (read more)

Posted: 25th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

Don’t go faking your online reviews – it’s a criminal act

AT least don’t go faking your online reviews in the US. For this might surprise a few people in this thriving little business, but faking a review online is actually … (read more)

Posted: 24th, September 2013 | In: Reviews, Technology | Comment

Apple’s competition is really Apple

IT may have passed you by but the best economist you’ve never heard of, Ronald Coase, passed away last week. One of the reasons he was so highly regarded within … (read more)

Posted: 24th, September 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

Payday loan firms like Wonga don’t actually make any money

I THOUGHT this was a fascinating little snippet of information. OK, it’s about the US payday loan firms, not our own, but I still found it interesting:
“In a state with … (read more)

Posted: 24th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Starbucks really wasn’t making a profit you know

YOU’LL all recall a little while back there was that furore about how much Starbucks was or wasn’t paying in corporation tax. And one of the defences offered for the … (read more)

Posted: 23rd, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

Idiot governments and renewable power: the subsidy strike prices shambles

OK, so, let’s say that all this concern about climate change is correct. It’s happening, we’re responsible and we’ve got to do something about it. OK, fine, so, what should … (read more)

Posted: 21st, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

From the annals of drug addled stupidity we present Melissa Kite

MELISSA Kite has managed to pen one of the most ridiculous columns ever about drug legalisation. Worse even that Peter Hitchen’s usual efforts where at least he is open about … (read more)

Posted: 17th, September 2013 | In: Reviews | Comment

The EU’s investigating those Google, Vodafone, Amazon and Apple tax deals

I’M not sure how far they’ll get though, based on what it is that they seem to be investigating.

This is all about the Starbucks n’ Google n’ Vodafone n’ Apple … (read more)

Posted: 13th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Small balls mean you’ll be a good father. Obviously

THIS might come as a surprise to some, that having small balls and a low testosterone level will mean that you’ll be a better father. But this is an obvious … (read more)

Posted: 11th, September 2013 | In: Money, Strange But True | Comment

Why do men still have to pay for dates?

THERE really are some handwringing feminists who need to get out a bit more. This particular one is wondering why it is that it’s men that usually pay for dates. … (read more)

Posted: 10th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Finding the Holy Grail in cutting emissions

I’D never really had the Mail pegged as a paper that particularly cared about climate change but they’ve gone overboard on this story about how someone’s found the latest incredible … (read more)

Posted: 9th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment

And now for a really stupid investigation into a bank

THE Americans really do suffer from the not invented here syndrome. They’ve this really serious belief that the whole world is like the US: and if it isn’t that it … (read more)

Posted: 9th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

You’ve not lost 40% of the value of your house for a quick sale

THE Daily Telegraph reports:
‘I lost 40pc on my quick house sale’

Many firms will offer to sell your house quickly – but some sellers are losing up to 53pc of … (read more)

Posted: 9th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comment

If Wonga doesn’t make massive profits then why are their interest rates so high?

WE’VE the news about how much profit Wonga made last year:
One million hard-pressed borrowers prepared to pay interest at up to 5,853% have propelled Wonga.com into the league of Britain’s … (read more)

Posted: 6th, September 2013 | In: Money | Comments (2)

Beyond parody: The Ministry of Sound sues spotify over playlists

THIS really does take the cake:
Dance music empire the Ministry of Sound is suing music streaming service Spotify to protect the value of its compilation albums, in an unusual test … (read more)

Posted: 5th, September 2013 | In: Money, Music | Comment

Why Mo Farah lost: the cost of banking regulation

I THINK we’re all agreed that Britain’s latest hero, Mo Farah, should be allowed to have what he wants. I think we’re all also agreed that we want to stamp … (read more)

Posted: 5th, September 2013 | In: Money, Sports | Comment

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