The Case of Killian Hill vs The State ii

Setting: offices of Giles & Jerico Actuarial Practice

Personae:
Killian Hill, high net worth individual – client of Giles & Jerico
Giles Goldstein, personal wealth manager

Well, Mr Hill… I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that the balance of invisible activity has been positive. Your portfolio stands to gain substantially from your investments abroad. I deduce from the figures I have here that about a third of the total revenue has come from repatriated profits and dividends of holdings overseas.

That’s all well and good Giles, but I’m not really interested in balance of payments right now. You said you’ll find a way to make sure I’m not losing much of my wealth to these punitive… these ill-imposed… these terrible taxes targeted at my class… that was your task, wasn’t it? Have you identified the loopholes as promised?

Yes, in fact I was going to come to that… I figured if I take a more gestalt approach it’d make things more comprehensible…

Look Giles, I’m a busy man… I’m sure you appreciate I don’t have all day to role play, and watch you gesticulate… just give it to me straight! Tell me what the plan is!

To put it simply Mr Hill, I believe the reasonable solution is to move your management operations and make them local to the territories that are generating much of your wealth. Far from the reach of HMRC…

That’s great Giles, I gotta tell you pal, I’m relieved! After that horrible hotel experience on the last business trip… this is just what I need. Good going. See, I knew you’d work it out…

… However, it’s not without considerable risk. Costly too, but cheaper in the long run should things go smoothly. Most of these territories have enormous geopolitical risks despite being heavily deregulated in comparison… and having less complexities in terms of monetary and fiscal policy systems.

But it’s workable, right?

Certainly, but I would recommend getting your legal team to do the necessary due diligence before we commit to proceeding in any direction for that matter…

Right, I see…

You don’t mind me asking, do you Killian? You mentioned something about an experience at a hotel… you don’t have to disclose if it’s upsetting…

Oh, it’s nothing just uh… how I can put this… you know, I always thought geishas were meant to be gracious and all that, but can you believe it Giles, they completely took advantage of me out there you know! All resolved now, I suppose it wasn’t so much the money I lost but the whole ordeal completely ruined a fantasy I’d held dearly since my youth… but anyway, yeah… some experience I tell ya!

Some adventure, huh?

It’s not an adventure when you lose, is it now? I’ll speak to my lawyers and have them set up a meeting with you and see if there’s any merit to your so-called gestalt approach. They’ll have time to listen to all that… okay?

Yes, I guess…

Great. Gotta go! Oh, greet the family for me will ya? And don’t forget… I need a gestalt result. Gestalt…gestalt… good grief Giles! Goodbye!
 

© Heath Muchena, 2016

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