Why do people support Tax exiles ????

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 10:17 am

Tax exiles....

Everytime I watch the Grandprix I see the commentators and fans having a collective orgasm about Lewis Hamilton....Or when I watch Athletics the same about Mo Farah !!!...He's legged it now he's on a good screw..

In fairness they aren't the only ones !!

They love Britain so much that now they've made a few bucks they've stuck two fingers up so they don't have to pay any tax......Nothing like giving back is there ??

The fact that hard working Brits pay plenty and earn much less and the fact that hardworking Brits have paid plenty out in terms of taxes in getting them where they are today.....seems to be irrelevant to fans..

Let the Swiss have an orgasm over Hamilton.........

Just don't get it myself !!.....Support people who deserve it..

by **Hero** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 10:39 am

I don't tend to think whilst watching a sporting great that I like their sporting prowess less because they live outside the UK to avoid tax.
Unless their out of sporting activities are something particularly heinous then it for me doesn't bear relevance to admiring their ability in their field.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 10:43 am

I'm talking about fans supporting stars...........Not admiring their sporting prowess...

I admired Tiger Woods but I didn't support him....

Your post really isn't really relevant....With all due respect.

by Stella Mon 09 Nov 2015, 10:53 am

I dislike Hamilton cos he comes across as a big head. The fact he chooses to have more money by moving abroad doesn't bother me one bit.

by **Hero** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 10:53 am

Well what should the commentators discuss?
Shoudl they start bleating on about Hamilton's tax situation or would 99% of those watching not give a figs and wonder why on earth is it being discussed when they're just interested in the sport?

You state my post isn't relevant when the actual topic isn't relevant to either the commentators or the viewer.

I don't imagine there's one Lewis Hamilton fan that's decided to no longer support him or even cares one iota about his taxes.

by TopHat24/7 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 10:53 am

Is it more apathy than support?

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:00 am

I think what annoys plenty is the vitriol directed at benefit claimants while people like Hamilton, Button et al. are revered and a blind eye is turned to their status.

To agree with TopHat (good grief...) it's the apathy toward this that irritates me.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:02 am

Hero wrote:Well what should the commentators discuss?
Shoudl they start bleating on about Hamilton's tax situation or would 99% of those watching not give a figs and wonder why on earth is it being discussed when they're just interested in the sport?

You state my post isn't relevant when the actual topic isn't relevant to either the commentators or the viewer.

I don't imagine there's one Lewis Hamilton fan that's decided to no longer support him or even cares one iota about his taxes.

Calm down a little.............The commentators are BIASED towards Hamilton............They should do their job properly..

by TopHat24/7 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:09 am

Stella wrote:I dislike Hamilton cos he comes across as a big head. The fact he chooses to have more money by moving abroad doesn't bother me one bit.

He was a bit of a smug wally all the way back to his school days. But he is immensely talented therefore I do like seeing a Brit at the top of a sport with the potential to go down a great - doesn't happen that often sadly. He's probably alongside McIllroy, Ennis, Farah at the moment, with Murray & Wiggo a notch below.

None of their tax status' are relevant to their greatness as athletes.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:11 am

Pr4wn wrote:I think what annoys plenty is the vitriol directed at benefit claimants while people like Hamilton, Button et al. are revered and a blind eye is turned to their status.

To agree with TopHat (good grief...) it's the apathy toward this that irritates me.

Hamilton is a swiss driver for me now in my humble opinion...........Lewis comes here to box he's gone from Canadian to British overnight...Because the money isn't in Canada or the PR expertise and training...

Hamilton slings it so he can keep his money..

The Brits should support their own.......

by Stella Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:13 am

TopHat24/7 wrote:
Stella wrote:I dislike Hamilton cos he comes across as a big head. The fact he chooses to have more money by moving abroad doesn't bother me one bit.

He was a bit of a smug wally all the way back to his school days. But he is immensely talented therefore I do like seeing a Brit at the top of a sport with the potential to go down a great - doesn't happen that often sadly. He's probably alongside McIllroy, Ennis, Farah at the moment, with Murray & Wiggo a notch below.

None of their tax status' are relevant to their greatness as athletes.

Yep, we should be proud we have a world champ.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:15 am

Stella wrote:
TopHat24/7 wrote:
Stella wrote:I dislike Hamilton cos he comes across as a big head. The fact he chooses to have more money by moving abroad doesn't bother me one bit.

He was a bit of a smug wally all the way back to his school days. But he is immensely talented therefore I do like seeing a Brit at the top of a sport with the potential to go down a great - doesn't happen that often sadly. He's probably alongside McIllroy, Ennis, Farah at the moment, with Murray & Wiggo a notch below.

None of their tax status' are relevant to their greatness as athletes.

Yep, we should be proud we have a world champ.

He's so proud to be British he sticks two fingers up....

Never mind If you want to support someone like that...Good luck to you....All the tax this Country is missing out on...

How much are you paying ??

by Stella Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:18 am

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
Stella wrote:
TopHat24/7 wrote:
Stella wrote:I dislike Hamilton cos he comes across as a big head. The fact he chooses to have more money by moving abroad doesn't bother me one bit.

He was a bit of a smug wally all the way back to his school days. But he is immensely talented therefore I do like seeing a Brit at the top of a sport with the potential to go down a great - doesn't happen that often sadly. He's probably alongside McIllroy, Ennis, Farah at the moment, with Murray & Wiggo a notch below.

None of their tax status' are relevant to their greatness as athletes.

Yep, we should be proud we have a world champ.

He's so proud to be British he sticks two fingers up....

Never mind If you want to support someone like that...Good luck to you....All the tax this Country is missing out on...

How much are you paying ??

To much!!!

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:18 am

I wouldn't be too angry about this but it's a bit disingenuous to accept all of this fan money, largely from British tax payers and then stash it all offshore.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:21 am

I could not give a toss, if I could do it myself then I would, the problem is the loopholes not the people exploiting them.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:27 am

Pr4wn wrote:I wouldn't be too angry about this but it's a bit disingenuous to accept all of this fan money, largely from British tax payers and then stash it all offshore.

Absolutely...

Came to Britain in 89 and for over 20 years I've been paying towards it's hospitals, education, transport, housing ...etc etc....

Yet If I was to take on this guy at something you'd all be wanting him to win because his Dad nailed his Mum over here..

Do me a favor......

by TopHat24/7 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:30 am

Pr4wn wrote:I wouldn't be too angry about this but it's a bit disingenuous to accept all of this fan money, largely from British tax payers and then stash it all offshore.

I suspect 'fan money' is a drop in the ocean compared to what he receives from Merc salary and commercial sponsors/endorsements.

He's a Brit working for a German company that plies his trade across 20+ jurisdictions across the world. He chooses to domicile and tax register where his salary ends up the most in his bank account. Doesn't change his nationality.

He's respected as a sportsman, not an economist, if he were a drugs cheat I'd denigrade him, because he's cheating at what he's made his money and success from, but he's not.

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 11:45 am

But this is the thing. It's all fan money. Without the fans, there would be no salary, no endorsements, nothing.

by TopHat24/7 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 12:30 pm

Hamilton's two main endorsement deals are a private jet company and a Swiss watch company where the 'entry level' is £10k+......personally I just don't see that as 'Average Joe' 'fan money'.

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 12:43 pm

You're missing the point completely.

Without the fans, there would be no TV, no support and Hamilton's endorsements would be worthless.

I admire him as a driver, he's unbelievably talented. But I disagree with the way he handles his tax situation. I think that's reasonable.

by **seanmichaels** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 1:15 pm

Pr4wn wrote:You're missing the point completely.

Without the fans, there would be no TV, no support and Hamilton's endorsements would be worthless.

I admire him as a driver, he's unbelievably talented. But I disagree with the way he handles his tax situation. I think that's reasonable.

Why the Superbowl ad slots are the most expensive.

I think he is a bit of a c0ck to be honest. Ok when things are going is way but a child when not.

by Rowley Mon 09 Nov 2015, 1:24 pm

His tax arrangements are as other have said his business. What irritates me about Hamilton is he has a blog on the BBC and in one of those blogs he wrote how it was shameful in this day and age there were still people living homeless in the UK and children in poverty etc.

The hypocrisy and sheer quarter witted stupidity of a bloke writing this from his tax exile bolt hole in Switzerland is almost too ridiculous to comprehend.

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:04 pm

And the stupidity of the editors who didn't notice that before publishing it.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:07 pm

Most people I'd wager support Hamilton because he's "British"

So the fact he's now "Swiss" because he can't be bothered paying taxes like his fans..

Should be relevant..

by TopHat24/7 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:12 pm

Agree his tax affairs aren't the most palatable (I care less than others, admittedly) but he's a Brit by every possible definition of the word that's top of the world in his field, and not a cheat, that doesn't roll around often sadly so he gets my vote every time.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:23 pm

To change the subject slightly I remember Dragon's Den's Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan falling out over Caan's off shore status...

Caan didn't come back for the following series........One might ask what his status has got to do with Bannatyne.

by TopHat24/7 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:24 pm

Pr4wn wrote:You're missing the point completely.

Without the fans, there would be no TV, no support and Hamilton's endorsements would be worthless.

I admire him as a driver, he's unbelievably talented. But I disagree with the way he handles his tax situation. I think that's reasonable.

I understanding the point you're trying to make, I just disagree with it, for two main reasons (going back to your original post):

Pr4wn wrote:I wouldn't be too angry about this but it's a bit disingenuous to accept all of this fan money, largely from British tax payers and then stash it all offshore.

1. His income (salary & endorsements) is based on his global appeal, not British, which is just one small part;

2. Your suggestion is that he is in some way complicit in the transfer of post-tax income from Brits into his non-tax paying offshore account. But my point is that F1 is not as reliant on income from average Joe fans as, say, football. There is no transfer of income as you suggest. Hundreds of thousands of fans aren't paying thousands of pounds a year to follow him. Parents aren't buying Lewis Hamilton bed spreads or replica kits for their kids. Pub viewing is minimal. Yes advertising is based on viewing figures, but that's global (as per 1. above) and British fans aren't shelling out any cash for that as it's free on the Beeb. Even those watching Sky F1 coverage it's extremely tenuous to suggest have only paid their subs for the F1 not all the other sport packaged with it.

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:28 pm

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:To change the subject slightly I remember Dragon's Den's Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan falling out over Caan's off shore status...

Caan didn't come back for the following series........One might ask what his status has got to do with Bannatyne.

I live in Jersey and Bannatyne is over here all the time.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:30 pm

Don't like the guy Prawny but he has led a campaign against offshore businessmen not paying their fair share..

I imagine he wouldn't be stupid enough to do that being offshore himself..

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:34 pm

I've no idea of what he does with his finances or whether he just owns property over here. No idea.

But I've seen him more than once in the street.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:47 pm

Lewis Hamilton IS British, living overseas doesn't make him any less British.

by Stella Mon 09 Nov 2015, 2:56 pm

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Most people I'd wager support Hamilton because he's "British"

So the fact he's now "Swiss" because he can't be bothered paying taxes like his fans..

Should be relevant..

He was born and learnt his trade in England, which makes him English!

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:01 pm

Open to interpretation....

Lennox Lewis learned his trade in Canada...He's English too..

He lives in Switzerland and can't be bothered paying tax here.....Not like he's moved there because his family was there..

Cheer on someone who deserves it...

He's swiss now..In my humble opinion.

by Stella Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:06 pm

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Open to interpretation....

Lennox Lewis learned his trade in Canada...He's English too..

He lives in Switzerland and can't be bothered paying tax here.....Not like he's moved there because his family was there..

Cheer on someone who deserves it...

He's swiss now..In my humble opinion.

England should take very little credit for Lennox lewis the boxer, just like America should take little credit in Navratolova the tennis player.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:15 pm

Must clear with appearances and sponsorship...40m a year.

He'd have a fortune after tax...

Support someone who gives a crap and wants to put back.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:17 pm

I'll support who I bloody well want thank you and these comments coming from someone who has in the past made excuses for Lance Armstrong is a bit rich.

by **Pr4wn** Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:21 pm

Hammer, calm down mate. Stop mud-slinging and debate like a big boy.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:23 pm

Lance Armstrong lives in Switzerland does he...

Hammer is Hammer...It'a not a problem.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:28 pm

Lance Armstrong was however a cheating scumbag but as long as he lives in America, I suppose it's fine, just like being a convicted r***ist or women beater is fine but god forbid living in a different country.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:35 pm

That's a bit silly...

by Guest Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:41 pm

Well this is going well...............

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 3:43 pm

I don't know If he'd asked me If I'd support anybody who left the States to avoid tax..

I'd have said....No.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon 09 Nov 2015, 7:43 pm

Are you in fact not American but now British?

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 8:42 pm

I support both Countries......

I didn't leave for tax reasons......I didn't stick two fingers up...

by Hammersmith harrier Mon 09 Nov 2015, 8:46 pm

Squirm all you want but by your very definition you are now British and not America.

by TRUSSMAN66 Mon 09 Nov 2015, 9:14 pm

I've been very consistent....as always..

My argument is about tax and turning ones back against ones Country...

Have no problem with those who live abroad for other reasons and have never said I did..

by **navyblueshorts** Fri 13 Nov 2015, 3:42 pm

Rowley wrote:His tax arrangements are as other have said his business. What irritates me about Hamilton is he has a blog on the BBC and in one of those blogs he wrote how it was shameful in this day and age there were still people living homeless in the UK and children in poverty etc.

The hypocrisy and sheer quarter witted stupidity of a bloke writing this from his tax exile bolt hole in Switzerland is almost too ridiculous to comprehend.

by Volcanicash Fri 13 Nov 2015, 3:54 pm

Good points regarding the hypocrisy from sports stars/celebs preaching and moralising while doing everything they can to avoid contributions.

However, how do we know for certain they don't give to charities in support of who they speak out to? My bet (if they did this) their money would be put to far better use than the government who squander and waste our taxes on all sorts of lucicrous schemes and projects.

by TRUSSMAN66 Fri 13 Nov 2015, 3:57 pm

I imagine their PR people 99% of the time "leak out" any acts of philanthropy.....

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