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Info-comic to support ArtUncut's "Pay up Bono" campaign. It tells the life story of U2 and Bono, and their tax evasion and hypocrisy. "The band was heavily criticised after moving parts of its business affairs from Ireland to the Netherlands in 2006, apparently in response to a cap on already generous tax breaks for artists in the republic. Though the band insists this simply reflects the global nature of their income as the world's highest-earning musicians, their decision not to pay all their tax in their home country looks even worse in the light of Ireland's financial meltdown. Bono is happy to tell the government how it should spend taxpayers' money – campaigning for an increase to the aid budget – yet he has taken his tax euros not just from Ireland's development fund, but also its hospitals and schools." (Guardian June 2011)
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U2The ultimate
Irish band !!!
Dave Miller
dave.miller.uk@gmail.com
As Irish as
butter
Falls Road
Growing upduring the Troubles ...
1976 ...
Punk Rock!
humble beginningshumble beginnings
twang
clunk
A teenage U2
A charged, political approach
lyrics had
political, social,
and religious
themes.
1980's -
U2 gained
international
recognition and
evolved into
post-punk
stadium-centric
rock heroes.
1980's -
U2 gained
international
recognition and
evolved into
post-punk
stadium-centric
rock heroes.
"rock gods"
1990's - a string of hits,
awards. U2 the world's
highest earning
musicians, raking in
approximately
£100 million per year.
Saint
Bono
Saint
Bono
Since 1999, Bono campaigns
for developing-world debt
relief and awareness
of plight of Africa.
"thank god it's them"
Bono regularly meets
political leaders to lobby
on behalf of developing
nations, to improve
the lives of the
world's poor.
follow meI will follow
But for many years
U2 have been accused of
hypocrisy.
U2 have been building up a
£1 billion business empire,
including a major share
in Forbes magazine, Facebook,
games software companies,
and even setting
up their own Hedge Fund.
2006 -
U2 sparked criticism
by shifting part of their business
affairs from Ireland to Holland
after a cap on generous tax
breaks for artists
in their home country.
!
Irish politicians branded U2's
move a cynical ploy -
while the band were
urging the Government
to give more money to
relieve poverty, they were
denying it
the funds
to do so.
2008 -
financial crash
Irish banks bailed out using
public money.
Harsh IMF austerity
cuts imposed, and public
services severely slashed
("austerity for a generation")
U2 are accused of
avoiding taxes which
could have helped
exactly the sort of
people that Bono cares
about so dearly.
"Of course we want to
be tax-efficient –
who doesn't?"
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