Is underpaying tax as bad as theft? Britain’s deputy prime minister has resigned over the stamp duty on her seaside flat. Some think her downfall should alert us to the true cost of tax avoidance.
Money, mayhem and a resignation
A Rayn on her parade: Angela Rayner became a mother at the age of only 16, before going on to become one of the UK's top politicians. Glossary
Tax - Money workers pay to the government to pay for services like roads and hospitals.
Regency - A situation in which someone takes the place of a monarch who is too young or no longer able to rule.
Constituency - An area whose voters elect a person to represent them.
Trust - Believe or have faith in something or a legal arrangement where money is held for somebody's benefit (usually a child's).
Ethics - The moral rules that people follow in order to have a good life and benefit society.
Ministerial code - A document setting out the rules and ethical standards that UK government ministers must follow.
BBC - The British Broadcasting Corporation is the UK's national broadcaster.
Rishi Sunak - A British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024.
Non-dom - Short for non-domiciled status. A tax status under British law which means that a person who lives in the UK can state that their permanent home is abroad. They pay tax in the UK on UK income but not on foreign income.
Tax avoidance - When a person finds legal loopholes to avoid taxes/pay less tax. It is different to tax evasion, which is when someone does not pay taxes in an illegal way.