der Berliner 3,811 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 RANGERS owner Craig Whyte has told fans the taxman will NOT strike a deal over the club's reported £40million HMRC bill. The businessman gave the warning as he met supporters' groups at Ibrox stadium. The club is involved in an ongoing battle with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs over the allegedly unpaid cash. But it's understood recent bad publicity targeted at HMRC over its failure to claw back tax from large companies may have scuppered hopes of a deal. Rangers Supporters' Assembly Chief Andy Kerr said: "Craig said if there was a settlement that would be the end of it, but he said that's not going to happen â?? or it's highly unlikely." He added: "It probably means, in my own opinion, that the case will fall on the merits of the argument. "One party gets an adverse and one gets a favourable outcome." Whyte also told fans he hoped the club could survive any administration event they'd be forced into if they lost their tax battle. It's believed hopes of a deal may have been sunk after MPs last month criticised "cosy" deals between HMRC and businesses. Last night Rangers said it would contest the tribunal "vigorously". A spokesman added: "There is no question recent publicity about high-profile tax cases makes a negotiated settlement less likely but we continue to have a constructive dialogue with HMRC." A HMRC spokeswoman said: "We genuinely try to work with businesses in financial difficulty but when they don't pay their tax it really leaves us no choice." Scottish Sun Still a lot of ifs and buts and maybes, I underlined the part important to me here. In the current climate, i.e. HMRC being pressured, no-one will openly say that they are about to thrash out a deal. Anyway, we do have to wait and see whether we face any bill at all, how much this bill is, how much would be taken over by Murray (I was reading about 10 to 15m) and how much the rest is. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I suggested this over on RM, but should have checked this site out first on this issue. Its clear to me that the people getting in front of him are not willing to ask the real testing questions. We should have guys like yourself Bluedell and other clued up supporters/investors in a room and asking the searching questions that will either put our collective minds at rest or really throw shite at the fan. As things stand, it appears that the main questions we are asking are about backing the fans, tunnel spats and police/media conspiracies. The various meetings and Q&A sessions between fan groups and our new owner haven't been tough enough or thorough enough. One of the things I've noticed is that there seems to have been very little in the way of spur of the moment follow-up questions. The people involved have went into their meeting with Craig Whyte and basically just asked the questions they've had written down in front of them, when they should have been following up on many of his answers with new (unplanned) questions to try and get more information out of him. They may have been doing this a little, but not enough or else there wouldn't still be so many important, yet unanswered questions. The toughest interview he's had to do was probably that one with STV because they actually did hit him with a fair number of follow-up questions based on his relatively vague answers. Still not tough enough though. What we need is a couple of fans doing an in-depth interview with him, but fans who don't care if he doesn't like the questions and follow-up questions. Fans who don't have any fear of him and don't want to be on his good books. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The various meetings and Q&A sessions between fan groups and our new owner haven't been tough enough or thorough enough. One of the things I've noticed is that there seems to have been very little in the way of spur of the moment follow-up questions. The people involved have went into their meeting with Craig Whyte and basically just asked the questions they've had written down in front of them, when they should have been following up on many of his answers with new (unplanned) questions to try and get more information out of him. They may have been doing this a little, but not enough or else there wouldn't still be so many important, yet unanswered questions. The toughest interview he's had to do was probably that one with STV because they actually did hit him with a fair number of follow-up questions based on his relatively vague answers. Still not tough enough though. What we need is a couple of fans doing an in-depth interview with him, but fans who don't care if he doesn't like the questions and follow-up questions. Fans who don't have any fear of him and don't want to be on his good books. But what you are forgetting is that he is under no obligation to answer those questions ! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 But what you are forgetting is that he is under no obligation to answer those questions ! Exactly and he's also under no obligation to agree to such an interview in the first place...... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Surely it is up to us the supporters, to put him under enough pressure that the important questions are asked, and then we see what is said. There are demonstrations against the BBC, shock at what Radio Clyde get away with, Speirs is castigated, yet the most important person in the whole story is soft soaped. In fact when a TV programme questions his history and finds out the banning as a Company director, we question the TV programme instead of Craig Whyte. Someone started a thread yesterday on FF asking Bears not to stick there heads in the sand about Whyte, every second post accused him of being a tim. I have no doubt in my mind if this was happening across the city, Whyte would be under unbelievable pressure to answer the questions we want answered. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
forlanssister 3,114 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If Bears don't take their head out of the sand after the "current custodian" basically said he doesn't give a f*&k about the last 140 years what hope is there? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebear54 0 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Agreed. I worry a lot about what CW is reported as having said. As I read it, he's saying liquidation is hunky dory. Well, not in my book. I want my Club and its history to remain. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,811 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If Bears don't take their head out of the sand after the "current custodian" basically said he doesn't give a f*&k about the last 140 years what hope is there? That's not what I am reading. Anyway, what would you expect him to say, given the stuff he and we are facing? "All is fine and well and we'll manage" falls out of the equation, so what would your reply be? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeissMan 0 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 But what you are forgetting is that he is under no obligation to answer those questions ! Just as fans/businesses are under no obligation to buy season tickets, hospitality packages, player of the year passes and sponsorship packages. People felt we "deserved better" last year, well we certainly "deserve better" this year. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,679 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If Bears don't take their head out of the sand after the "current custodian" basically said he doesn't give a f*&k about the last 140 years what hope is there? There's a difference between not giving a f*** and not being able to meet a £40m+ tax bill. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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