Tony’s Statement.

[kippaxvilla2]

He was very plausible though.  Tayls had his number early doors though.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/19/tony-xia-revamp-aston-villa-top-three-world-owner

[Rory]

What exactly is the fit and proper test? Do we know? I know what it's supposed to be, but in practice.

[edgysatsuma89]

They have to have proof of last month's leccy bill. Photocopy should be fine.

[kippaxvilla2]

If I recall correctly he had to prove he had the cash to fund the operating costs for two seasons.  He did that but widely rumoured to be purely based on the parachute money.

[Rory]

If I recall correctly he had to prove he had the cash to fund the operating costs for two seasons.  He did that but widely rumoured to be purely based on the parachute money.

In which case, I think I could probably do that. And I have better shoes.

[UK Redsox]

Just watched the documentary. Fascinating stuff

[N'ZMAV]

Just watched the documentary. Fascinating stuff

which documentary?

[brian green]

Yes Rory, the Poundstretcher shoes and the cardboard belt should have alerted us.

[N'ZMAV]

Just watched the documentary. Fascinating stuff

which documentary?

got a link please?

[not3bad]

Just watched the documentary. Fascinating stuff

which documentary?

got a link please?

See page 161 of this thread.

[Rory]

Yes Rory, the Poundstretcher shoes and the cardboard belt should have alerted us.

Can't believe I missed the cardboard belt, Brian! Gah, what was I thinking.

But seriously, I was so demoralised at the time, I didn't have a clue.

[Risso]

The trouble is, and as the documentary showed, with overseas cash it's incredibly easy to disguise its source, and therefore also very difficult for authorities to do proper due diligence. I deal a lot with offshore structures, and until there's a global standard for company and ultimate beneficial owner information, stuff like this will always happen, and not just with football, obviously.

[Sexual Ealing]

The trouble is, and as the documentary showed, with overseas cash it's incredibly easy to disguise its source, and therefore also very difficult for authorities to do proper due diligence. I deal a lot with offshore structures, and until there's a global standard for company and ultimate beneficial owner information, stuff like this will always happen, and not just with football, obviously.

I'm probably being naive here but I don't understand why onshore states that like to collect taxes allow these offshore operations to continue. Is it just that the people in charge also want to hide their money there?

[Risso]

The trouble is, and as the documentary showed, with overseas cash it's incredibly easy to disguise its source, and therefore also very difficult for authorities to do proper due diligence. I deal a lot with offshore structures, and until there's a global standard for company and ultimate beneficial owner information, stuff like this will always happen, and not just with football, obviously.

I'm probably being naive here but I don't understand why onshore states that like to collect taxes allow these offshore operations to continue. Is it just that the people in charge also want to hide their money there?

Well, there's a move now for a minimum global company tax rate of at least 10%. The theory at the moment is though, that a country is free to set its own tax rate. So the UK is lower than France, Ireland and Malta are lower than the UK and so on. Usually it's a balance between attracting companies to operate in your country, and actually needing to raise money through taxation. Offshore places like the IOM, Gibraltar, Jersey and BVI etc don't really have anything else much they can offer, so they set out to attract companies there with a 0% rate. The IOM's biggest industry is online gaming, and although they don't get any company tax, the thousands of people employed all pay income tax and buy houses etc. There are also a lot of funds and pesnions based in such places, as you don't really want people's pensions being whittled away by tax.

There's also the fact that a lot of places offshore are a lot less transparent in terms of information, as to who shareholders are, and having to publicly lodge accounts. As I say though, there's a huge amount of pressure to move away from both the low tax and secrecy aspects. Ireland in particular, isn't keen on the low tax thing being abolished.

[brian green]

Tony Xia is one of the great Villa stories.  It is only a matter of time before somebody points out that you have never seen him and the African Car Reverser in the same photograph.