A Question

[Grumpmeister]

Jug Ear's is earning more, has his rail and airlne travel paid by the taxpayer (a cost of over £1 million) and is now paying less tax than he was last year. Is it just me or does something seem a little off there. 

The Prince of Wales's private income rose by 7% to more than £16m last year, Clarence House accounts show.

Money generated by the Duchy of Cornwall increased by just over £1m to £16.2m in the last financial year.

But the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by the prince's activities fell by 18%.

The accounts also show that five controversial helicopter flights Prince William made while training with the RAF cost more than £50,000.

Clarence House officials said the carbon reduction was due to a switch to "green" electricity supplies and a further reduction in travel-related emissions.

Figures showed the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by the prince's travel and domestic energy use fell by 630 tonnes to 2,795 tonnes during 2007-08.

Stag party

The cost of the Prince's official travel by air and rail fell 22% from £1.4m to £1.1m. Journeys by plane and train are paid for by the taxpayer.

Meanwhile, Prince William's helicopter flights - which included journeys to a stag party and a trip to the family home of his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, were criticised as an alleged abuse of military training.

The prince's personal costs, referred to in the accounts as "non-official expenditure", fell from £2.6m to £2.2m.

The amount of tax the heir to the throne paid to HM Revenue and Customs dropped by £5,000 to £3.4m.

Sir Michael Peat, the Prince's top aide, said he hoped the figures showed "a good picture".

He said: "I don't want to sound complacent but I really do believe that the contribution their royal highnesses make to national life continues to develop and broaden and strengthen.

"The Prince of Wales has a special knack of putting his finger on issues of underlying and long-term importance and for seeing beyond fashion and political correctness - and there are some good examples in the annual review."

[Snoopy]

Don't knock the Royals ~ they still cost a bloody good deal less than we would be forking out for a President and associated retinue. France has a similar population to the UK, allbeit spread over a greater area.

Just look at this from 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/06/france.jonhenley

A dogged French Socialist MP yesterday revealed that Jacques Chirac, already the most expensive president the French have had, was costing the taxpayer more than three times the official figure.
According to René Dosière, who has spent five years badgering every ministry and government department about how much money the Elysée receives, the palace's annual budget - which MPs set this week at €32.7m (about £22m) for 2006 - represents only a third of what it actually gets. Mr Dosière revealed that the Elysée employs about 1,000 staff, "the equivalent of the municipal workforce of a town of 50,000 people". He said the palace's "extraordinary opaqueness" meant he could not rule out further serious "Republican anomalies".

For 2003, the last year for which full figures are available, parliament voted the Elysée an annual budget of €30.5m. But from replies to more than 35,000 questions, Mr Dosière has worked out that nine ministries contributed an additional €52.1m in manpower, equipment and cash, bringing the palace's actual annual budget to €82m.

[Grumpmeister]

Its not so much a case of knocking the Royals Snoop. It just seems odd that if his income is increasing that he should be paying LESS tax. 

[Snoopy]

Its not so much a case of knocking the Royals Snoop. It just seems odd that if his income is increasing that he should be paying LESS tax. 

Like any self employed person/business he is able to offset liabilities for tax against expenditure I suppose.

[Nick]

Don't knock the Royals ~ they still cost a bloody good deal less than we would be forking out for a President and associated retinue. France has a similar population to the UK, allbeit spread over a greater area.

Just look at this from 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/06/france.jonhenley

A dogged French Socialist MP yesterday revealed that Jacques Chirac, already the most expensive president the French have had, was costing the taxpayer more than three times the official figure.
According to René Dosière, who has spent five years badgering every ministry and government department about how much money the Elysée receives, the palace's annual budget - which MPs set this week at €32.7m (about £22m) for 2006 - represents only a third of what it actually gets. Mr Dosière revealed that the Elysée employs about 1,000 staff, "the equivalent of the municipal workforce of a town of 50,000 people". He said the palace's "extraordinary opaqueness" meant he could not rule out further serious "Republican anomalies".

For 2003, the last year for which full figures are available, parliament voted the Elysée an annual budget of €30.5m. But from replies to more than 35,000 questions, Mr Dosière has worked out that nine ministries contributed an additional €52.1m in manpower, equipment and cash, bringing the palace's actual annual budget to €82m.

Like Snoops I am warming to the royals. They are LESS useless than the other troughers

[Darwins Selection]

Like any self employed person/business he is able to offset liabilities for tax against expenditure I suppose.

Really, can you do that?

I must look into it. 

[Snoopy]

I think I can hear a sob story about the failure of a turnip crop coming on.

[Darwins Selection]

I think I can hear a sob story about the failure of a turnip crop coming on.

Don't you mock!

It has been another very difficult year, I would like to be able to pay more taxes to prop up our economy, but you know how it is. . .

Anyway, it would be rude not to follow the advice from the accountants, not to mention a waste of their modest fees. 

[Mrs TG]

Don't knock the Royals ~ they still cost a bloody good deal less than we would be forking out for a President and associated retinue. France has a similar population to the UK, allbeit spread over a greater area.

Just look at this from 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/06/france.jonhenley

A dogged French Socialist MP yesterday revealed that Jacques Chirac, already the most expensive president the French have had, was costing the taxpayer more than three times the official figure.
According to René Dosière, who has spent five years badgering every ministry and government department about how much money the Elysée receives, the palace's annual budget - which MPs set this week at €32.7m (about £22m) for 2006 - represents only a third of what it actually gets. Mr Dosière revealed that the Elysée employs about 1,000 staff, "the equivalent of the municipal workforce of a town of 50,000 people". He said the palace's "extraordinary opaqueness" meant he could not rule out further serious "Republican anomalies".

For 2003, the last year for which full figures are available, parliament voted the Elysée an annual budget of €30.5m. But from replies to more than 35,000 questions, Mr Dosière has worked out that nine ministries contributed an additional €52.1m in manpower, equipment and cash, bringing the palace's actual annual budget to €82m.

i would rather pay my 68p a yr towards the royals than pay for all them lazy social security fvcks i tell you an how much each are we funding that far i wonder 

[TG]

Don't knock the Royals ~ they still cost a bloody good deal less than we would be forking out for a President and associated retinue. France has a similar population to the UK, allbeit spread over a greater area.

Just look at this from 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/06/france.jonhenley

A dogged French Socialist MP yesterday revealed that Jacques Chirac, already the most expensive president the French have had, was costing the taxpayer more than three times the official figure.
According to René Dosière, who has spent five years badgering every ministry and government department about how much money the Elysée receives, the palace's annual budget - which MPs set this week at €32.7m (about £22m) for 2006 - represents only a third of what it actually gets. Mr Dosière revealed that the Elysée employs about 1,000 staff, "the equivalent of the municipal workforce of a town of 50,000 people". He said the palace's "extraordinary opaqueness" meant he could not rule out further serious "Republican anomalies".

For 2003, the last year for which full figures are available, parliament voted the Elysée an annual budget of €30.5m. But from replies to more than 35,000 questions, Mr Dosière has worked out that nine ministries contributed an additional €52.1m in manpower, equipment and cash, bringing the palace's actual annual budget to €82m.

i would rather pay my 68p a yr towards the royals than pay for all them lazy social security fvcks i tell you an how much each are we funding that far i wonder 

That may well be me soon. 

[Darwins Selection]

Don't knock the Royals ~ they still cost a bloody good deal less than we would be forking out for a President and associated retinue. France has a similar population to the UK, allbeit spread over a greater area.

Just look at this from 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/06/france.jonhenley

A dogged French Socialist MP yesterday revealed that Jacques Chirac, already the most expensive president the French have had, was costing the taxpayer more than three times the official figure.
According to René Dosière, who has spent five years badgering every ministry and government department about how much money the Elysée receives, the palace's annual budget - which MPs set this week at €32.7m (about £22m) for 2006 - represents only a third of what it actually gets. Mr Dosière revealed that the Elysée employs about 1,000 staff, "the equivalent of the municipal workforce of a town of 50,000 people". He said the palace's "extraordinary opaqueness" meant he could not rule out further serious "Republican anomalies".

For 2003, the last year for which full figures are available, parliament voted the Elysée an annual budget of €30.5m. But from replies to more than 35,000 questions, Mr Dosière has worked out that nine ministries contributed an additional €52.1m in manpower, equipment and cash, bringing the palace's actual annual budget to €82m.

i would rather pay my 68p a yr towards the royals than pay for all them lazy social security fvcks i tell you an how much each are we funding that far i wonder 

That may well be me soon. 

Are you a Royal then? 

[TG]

No. But my ambition to be a 'lazy social security fvck'  may finally be realised this week. 

[Mrs TG]

Don't knock the Royals ~ they still cost a bloody good deal less than we would be forking out for a President and associated retinue. France has a similar population to the UK, allbeit spread over a greater area.

Just look at this from 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/06/france.jonhenley

A dogged French Socialist MP yesterday revealed that Jacques Chirac, already the most expensive president the French have had, was costing the taxpayer more than three times the official figure.
According to René Dosière, who has spent five years badgering every ministry and government department about how much money the Elysée receives, the palace's annual budget - which MPs set this week at €32.7m (about £22m) for 2006 - represents only a third of what it actually gets. Mr Dosière revealed that the Elysée employs about 1,000 staff, "the equivalent of the municipal workforce of a town of 50,000 people". He said the palace's "extraordinary opaqueness" meant he could not rule out further serious "Republican anomalies".

For 2003, the last year for which full figures are available, parliament voted the Elysée an annual budget of €30.5m. But from replies to more than 35,000 questions, Mr Dosière has worked out that nine ministries contributed an additional €52.1m in manpower, equipment and cash, bringing the palace's actual annual budget to €82m.

i would rather pay my 68p a yr towards the royals than pay for all them lazy social security fvcks i tell you an how much each are we funding that far i wonder 

That may well be me soon. 

Are you a Royal then? 

yep i do like the royals an the history it brings! my personal opinion thanks so dont start all screaming! 

[Snoopy]

Who is screaming?

[Mrs TG]

Who is screaming?

well often a difference of opinions so i just made that clear
as there is a lot i bet we wish we didn't have to donate too with our taxes but do we have the choice!