Baroness Ashton accused of exploiting tax loophole
EU foreign minister Baroness Ashton still paying low rates on £230,000 salary despite tax hikes for British MEPs
EU FOREIGN minister Baroness Ashton has been accused of exploiting a loophole to pay a minimal level of tax on her £230,000 a year salary while British MEPs pay taxes in full.
After the EU’s decision to pay all MEPs the same wage from June 2009, the UK government slapped extra taxes on MEPs to bring their £80,000 salaries back into line with the £65,738 received by Westminster MPs.
However, Lady Ashton continues to pay the lower rate community tax of other EU civil servants as she works for the EU institution, reports the Telegraph.
Conservative MEP Roger Helmer estimated that Lady Ashton could be saving £40,000 a year in taxes that others would have to pay.
(Picture: © European Union, 2011)