[Closed] Richest 'British' sportsperson...

Well that spiralled a bit!

The most interesting point above was about foreign trained doctors working here. Interesting view that, but not what I was trying to get at. Though it's worth some more thought.

Really though it's about Lh choosing to take exile in order to pay less tax. He's actively chosen to live outside Britain so he doesn't pay tax here. In my opinion that is wrong and he isn't pulling for Team Britain. In the same way that Branson et all do the same. They are, of course, still British though, nationality has little to do with where you pay tax!

Good on Elton John btw, didn't know that about him.

At the end of the day I am just a man venting frustration at how people choose not to muck in to help when the country is shafted. I would still pay my dues, no matter what.

There point was that they should pay tax

Making them parasitic if they don't? Hence I don't really deserve the pic (though I 😆 )

The point appeared to be that the UK government had supported LH because whilst it was actually McLaren who had, McLaren hadn't paid sufficient taxes to directly cover the education, health care etc. of all their employees and so their activities are "subsidised". In the same way the activities of any other company are "subsidised" as I pointed out. Of course the question in that case is where do all the other taxes come from? I suspect McLaren makes substantial payments directly to the taxman which aren't anything to do with corporation tax...

Had to work in Monaco 2 weeks every year around this time of year for about ten years. The place is awful, horrible horrible horrible nasty lifeless town (even though it was all expenses paid 5* hotel opposite the casino). I'd rather pay tax than live there (though i suspect that most don't really "live" there.

I didnt think he drove for Mclaren

I didnt think he drove for Mclaren

😆 - you could always try googling

So Is anyone that leaves the uk a parasite, or just successful people? A doctor that trains at the expense of the uk then goes overseas to help refugees?. Or are we just anti rich people leaving, at what £ do we set the bar? Lewis has worked hard and been successful, yes he's overpaid but that's the market. He should get to lives where he wants.

So Is anyone that leaves the uk a parasite, or just successful people?

A working doctor is not the same as running off to a tax haven.

Are you really trying to compare a person leaving the UK to do humanitarian work with the poor with a multi millionaire[ 88 and rising] leaving the UK to have even more money 😯

Just when you thought STW could not do a worse comparison/analogy/question

Face Palm

100% vat on stylish gold chains and diamond earings should get back when he returns.

I'm not sure that there's much incentive for him to stay in the UK really, his chosen career has him traveling all over the world anyway, why not take your disgusting wealth and go live somewhere with nicer weather surrounded by similarly filthy rich people?

I'd not begrudge Hamilton the right to live wherever he chooses, or the right to hold a British passport, so long as his tax arrangements are legal and above board in the jurisdiction he resides in, what's the actual complaint?

what's the actual complaint?

😀

That the op feels if he was in LH's situation he would want to give more back. I agree with him.

Exactly A-A, thanks.

Fwiw, I an not anti rich, quite the opposite, people should be encouraged to succeed and I am happy for people if they are successful and earn a lot of money, good luck to them.

The 'actual complaint' cookeaa is nothing to do with his passport, nationality, or where he chooses to live. It's that he's choosing to live outside Britain to avoid paying tax here. A small percentage of his 'disgusting wealth' might help people in real need right here in blighty and I think it's sad he doesn't give a damn and chooses to opt out of that in order to make himself more 'disgustingly wealthy'.

I believe the complaint was too much tax for Lewis Hamilton. Apparently Monaco can sort out their affairs without spending large amounts of money of education, healthcare, nuclear weapons, etc, and as a result can keep their taxes very low.

Remember when Sean Connery stuck his oar in on Scottish independence and was almost universally slapped down since he's lived in Spain for decades?

People can live where they want but I think there is something to what the OP is saying. If Hamilton lives in Monaco, pays (some) tax in Monaco then shouldn't he represent Monaco or France when he races? Should he be eligible for Sports Personality of the Year etc etc...or does he only lose his British credentials once he's retired and irrelevant.

I think it's sad he doesn't give a damn and chooses to opt out of that in order to make himself more 'disgustingly wealthy'.

How do you know? Do you know how much he gives to UK charities?

I wonder how many millions in revenue the brand Lewis Hamilton generates in VAT and corporation tax.

Hmmm, SPOTY is voted for by British people so far as I am aware, so clearly this resentment isn't universal, plus what does it really mean? That the sort of people who vote for stupid popularity competitions like SPOTY think LH is teh awsomez...

Men... There are far greater injustices in the world to get worked up over...

Men... There are far greater injustices in the world to get worked up over...

Sexist.

I could edit it back to "meh" but I think I should let that particular auto-correction stand... Works much better

😀

Anyway... By the standards of this argument / discussion / thread I reckon the Richest "British" Sportsperson is.....

Mark Webber.

Ten years in F1, drove for one, if not the, best funded teams on the grid, hugely popular, got offered a bucket of money by Porche to go there after F1, not flash so won't have blown it all like a footballer, lived in Buckinghamshire pretty much all his professional life.

He's an Aussie of course, but pays his taxes here and that's all that counts eh?

Richmars, I don't know how much Lh gives to charity, and nor do I care because that is completely irrelevant anyway!

The point I made is he isn't paying f#@#ing tax here by choice!...

Tomorrow I will write to hmrc and say I don't want to pay income tax nor NI on my paltry salary any more just because I don't want to. I will pay the equivalent, or as much as I want to instead, to the RSPB. Can't see anything going wrong there now Richmars, huh...

A working doctor is not the same as running off to a tax haven

I wasn't saying it was, hence the ? I'm just curious as to where you think we should draw the line.

How do you know? Do you know how much he gives to UK charities?

May I ask how you know this is the case as it seems most unlikely?

We all know why he went, lets not pretend otherwise.

[quote=chipsngravy opined]I wonder how many millions in revenue the brand Lewis Hamilton generates in VAT and corporation tax.

Nil?

Lewis isn't British, listen to that ridiculous accent

Jools, that's a genuine Lol!

SAS78, it was your 'he doesn't give a damn' comment I was more concerned about. None of us know if he gives a damn or not, but a quick search suggests he does give money and time to charities.How much, and whether it's more or less then the tax he doesn't pay no one knows.
I'm just not letting my preconceived view of LH fit the evidence.

I remember popping round to the Mum's for Sunday cuppa and picked up on of the supplements. Inside was a big LH interview in which he stated he loved England and would never leave for tax reasons.
Inside 48hrs the news of his emigration hit the papers.
Oh how I laughed.

How much, and whether it's more or less then the tax he doesn't pay no one knows.
I'm just not letting my preconceived view of LH fit the evidence.

LOL. Its still preposterous to suggest he moved to a tax haven to give more money to charity and to then further suggest its more money than he saves from tax avoidance.
If you believe that is there any chance you can help out my Nigerian cousin. He is a prince and in a little bit of a pickle. He will make it worth your while.
Naive beyond words so have a picture

[img] [/img]

I may be naive but, unlike you, I can read.
I didn't say he has moved to give more money to charity, I said no one, not even you, know.

Would you like to read my Nigerian cousins letter then? Its very plausible and we dont know whether that account is true either so you will happily assume it is then as it is also ludicrously implausible.

I can read but i can also laugh at your absence of critical thinking and naivety.
You have not even claimed it's true either its a what if he did X without any evidence to support X and X is prima facie nonsense

Richmars, ok then, I stand by the fact he doesn't give a damn, and it isn't a specific comment about Lh but a concept in general.

I was specifically referring to him not giving a damn for the tax system in this country which is the way to put back into society fairly I.e. For the greater good by letting our elected government decide where to allocate funds. Whether we agree with where they spend them is irrelevant, but by him choosing to opt out of that system he doesn't give a damn for people in need throughout our British society.

If he chooses to go off and put all his money into certain charities, which he is free to do and I would applaud that, it is fine but by virtue of his choice he is excluding people who are not benefited by his chosen charities.

My opinion is, you pay your dues by tax. You then do whatever you like with your money after that. If you think that concept is somehow flawed then please enlighten us with your solution.

The only fact is that LH has moved to abroad. Anything else is speculation. It may well be to save tax, but without knowing what he pays, to whom, on one knows for sure.
That may, in your view, show a lack of critical thinking on my part, but, do you think I care what you think of my reasoning?

Your defence is we dont know why the tax exile moved to a tax haven and it may be to give more money to charity ....its ludicrous.

He also might just like hanging out with other famous sports people
http://blog.directly.me/30-celebrities-living-in-monte-carlo-how-to-contact-them/
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/05/team-sky-hub-france-nice-monaco
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/wales/28869243

I was specifically referring to him not giving a damn for the tax system in this country which is the way to put back into society fairly I.e. For the greater good by letting our elected government decide where to allocate funds.

Funniest thing I've read on here for ages 😆

do you think I care what you think of my reasoning?

Shall we leave it there or shall we just repeat ourselves ?

Thanks woody!

You've taken that bit of of context though... I did caveat that worth the bit about not necessarily agreeing etc...!

Richmars, I do think there's a flaw in your argument but discussion\disagreement is the point of a debate. Of course the whole scenario is speculation but aunty beebs journalist did call him a tax exile, would expect they checked that out before making such a specific statement.

Shall we leave it there or shall we just repeat ourselves ?

"Daddy, when I grown up I want to be a tax payer"

sas78,
I'm happy to accept that the most likely reason that LH has moved abroad is to save tax. As has been mentioned above, many high earners do.
I don't agree that he doesn't give a damn about the people he's left behind. But this bit is all speculation and up to individuals views of LH.

Has anybody on this thread yet told us whether they have a CTW scheme bike?

Used to buy a 160mm bouncer !!!

So how much would someone have cost the country's purse by the time they're say 25 years old? Education, health, policing, all that sort of stuff. And how much would you need to have earned to pay for all of that in taxation and be free to clear off to live where the heck you like and pay all the tax they legally require of you without being scolded by a bunch of frustrated indignant keyboard warriors ?