‘Can’t Tax This’ is timely reminder to Andy Burnham that the UK can’t tax its way to prosperity

The Rebel Accountant – AKA Andy Oury, Owner Partner of legal and accounting firm Oury Clark, is today launching his latest and fifth rap song as a timely message to incoming PM Andy Burnham.

‘Can’t Tax This’ is an updated version of the 90s MC Hammer classic ‘Can’t Touch This’ in which Oury raps about the perils of a wealth tax.

“If you tax the wealthy, they simply move their wealth offshore to tax havens,” he says. “And it’s a myth that wealth taxes hit only non-doms and trust-fund kids. The majority of wealth creators in this country are entrepreneurs, business owners and those founding and running companies. We need to encourage them, not drive them away.”

Andy’s message chimes with those of The Tony Blair Institute, Lord O’Neill, and UCL amongst others in recent days who have urged incoming PM Andy Burnham to recognise economic growth won’t come if we penalise those who create wealth in this country.

Andy Oury adds: “Whether it’s higher income tax for certain earners, raising CGT or inheritance tax or adding a new mansion tax, the premise is all wrong. We can’t tax our way to economic renewal. Where I differ from the other voices is the way I choose to communicate my advice. Tax has a bad rap which is why I want to rap about it.”

Andy Oury launched The Rebel Accountant project in March of this year, combining his passion for creating music with his day job as an accountant, and with a mission to help educate people about tax.

By turning to music, Andy is finding a different way to explain tax and challenge the myths that surround it, making complex topics more engaging and easier to understand for entrepreneurs and SMEs.

His first song was a cover of Eminem’s Stan about HMRC. He has also rapped about VAT and Why UK Business Owners are Fed Up.

“It’s important to challenge the popular narrative on tax however we can,” Andy explains.

“There is a huge amount of nuance to how tax really works, and I found even with friends trying to counter the simple and incorrect narrarive was such a challenge. So thought, well lets rap about it then.”

“We are already taxed enough in this country. The overall tax burden is at a post-war high – heading towards 38% of GDP, a level unseen since the 1940s – and the OBR itself is warning that pushing that threshold further risks eroding the incentives to work, save and invest on which everything depends. We need a bigger economy to pay the bills instead. Let’s hope Burnham not only smells the coffee but hears the music.”