£14 Billion

That's obscene.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7219148.stm

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

That's obscene.

That's business.

[JamesMio]

Originally Posted by Tiger 55

That's business.

Got to agree with that - Shell are a HUGE company, employing who knows how many people in the UK and pumping millions into the UK economy.

There's a massive stigma in this country when it comes to businesses or individuals doing well for themselves and, heaven forbid, making a profit!!

Personally the real issue here is that, if Shell care raking in a profit of £14billion a year, and they get roughly around 40p per litre of fuel sold at the pumps...

How much is the Government pulling in from us on top of that?

THAT my good man, I would imagine is much much more obscene!

Instead of taxing the living sh*t out of us all the time, perhaps the government could stop squandering our money on utter utter crap like the Millennium Dome, Iraq, The Olympics, Dodgy Payments for Politicians Student sons etc etc etc...

Maybe then the money might just go round a bit easier and they can stop ripping off the motorist for every penny we get.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by JamesMio

a bit of a rant......

Don't forget the money grabbing government will get corporation tax on that 14 billion.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by JamesMio

a bit of a rant......

Don't forget the money grabbing government will get corporation tax on that 14 billion.

It's not obscene....it's wonderful.

Firstly, they pay tax to HMG, which reduces the amount YOU have to pay. If they don't make a profit, UK plc gets nowt.

Secondly, they pay whacking big dividends to their Investors - in the main, these investors are the Pension Funds that you need to borrow to support you when you are old and doddery.

Thirdly, oil is running out so Shell need loads of money to reinvest to get the last drops out of the ground so you can run your SV, and to research what the hell is going to take its place in the future.

Finally, successful companies employ people....broke ones don't. I don't want to return to the days when the UK had nearly 20% unemployment and a 90% upper tax band, thank you.

Let's celebrate success.....

the problem with high fuel prices in my eyes doesent lay with shell. It lies with our government. Is it something like 66% tax they have to pay. The cost of the fuel pumped out by shell then sold as market value is driven by a greedy government wanting more money.

Its here where we get stung for the money. The gov wont be moaning about shell making this will they! Its good for the ecomony. Whats not good is the fact when the conways need to pay there sons a bit of pocket money is they end up sticking another penny on fuel!

gits

Originally Posted by JamesMio

How much is the Government pulling in from us on top of that?

With road tax; ?44 billion.
Annual expenditure on roads; ?7 billion.
(2007 Figures)

Successful business should be rewarded, yes of course. But with 14 billion profit you've got to question what price control all the oil companies have. The price of fuel has increased but so have their profits with it.

[embee]

I don't see it as a big deal. As said by others Shell is a huge company with astronomical turnover.

I don't know what the turnover is, but I doubt the profit represents a particularly high percentage. The margin to them on a litre of road fuel is trivial, the real winners are HMRC.

No company makes 14billion without having a huge profit margin. We're just duped in to accepting that fuel is expensive and that shell can charge as much as they want.