There is a lot of fuss in the media right now about tax avoidance. But the truth of the matter is that you are probably doing it. Here are some common methods.

Contribute to a pension. Your contributions are tax free. Nearly everyone in Britain with a job does this.

Save money in an ISA. Tax free saving is tax avoidance. Half of all British adults do this.

Buy duty free goods. The clue is in the name. Most people who travel do this.

Pay cash to avoid VAT. Window cleaner, car wash, minicab etc. We all do it. It is called the black economy. It is worth £150bn.

Do clever things with your will. This is favoured by Labour politicians like Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman, Margaret Hodge, Chuka Umunna and Tony Benn.

The easiest way to avoid all British tax is to leave the country and pay your taxes where the government is less greedy and inefficient. Hundreds of thousands of British high earners have done this, you will find them in Dubai, Singapore, Switzerland, The Channel Islands, Hong Kong, The Isle of Man, Monaco, The Cayman Islands and many other places where their success is not punished by the evils of socialism.

The fact is that tax is government extortion of money that people have worked hard to earn. So nobody pays more tax than they need to, no matter how poor or rich they are. Anyone who suggests otherwise is a rank hypocrite. Just look at the Labour front bench.