noobyscooby

BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Hamilton decides to leave Britain

Can't say I blame him: I would too if I could evade Gordon Brown's tax regime - why give that little sh*t 51.5% of every pound you earn [40% plus the NI contribution] and then pay 17.5% VAT on everything else plus all that duty on fuel. Crazeeeee! About time we all revolted!!

But I'm a bit concerned when Lewis says "I go to the bathroom in a petrol station and people come in there for autographs." I'm concerned he might be a bit naive as I am not at all sure that's what some perves go in there for actually!!

Anyway good luck to him!

Ste_TYPE-R

He must go to some very posh and exclusive petrol stations. Ive yet to see a Petrol station with a public bathroom!!

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

I'd just prefer it if he was honest

"Yeah i get a lot of attention but to be honest, i get a lot of money too and my accountant has advised me to move so that i can save some of my piles of cash."

5t.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

So...........................he can join all the other Brit F1 Drivers who live abroad! Monaco here he comes!

EddScott

Since when was there a rumour he'd go to Ferrari?

IMO thats laughable. Can't see him driving for anyone else tbh.

Tart Man

The problem with the "Tax the rich" policies.

The rich leave and set up camp in a tax haven. Then keep a place in the UK for the odd weekend.

The Rig

iTrader: (13)

id rather have mansells autograph than hamiltons,bit of a big headed comment i think,all the attention i get, my missus is well into motor sport and wouldnt really be bothered by seeing him,eddie jordan tho,for some reason, she liked him when she met him...................

finchyboy

I'm becoming a tax exile would have sufficed !!! What a tosser does the guy have a personality or has it been coached out of him by his management staff.
Valantino rossi has more charisma in one of his little fingers then Hamilton has in his whole body!!

911

Note that 'Hamiltons' are the future of F1.

Manufactured, re-modelled ideal individuals who have talent as well.

Rossi would be 'old skool' so can't have that.
Name me a character in the F1 paddock today?

Button comes to mind, at least he has a glint in his eye rather than a simulated practiced response to everything.

Where are the Mansels/Hunts/Stuarts/Hills today?

Same goes for WRC? Colin/ Burns Timo etc

Far more interesting is to watch the Irish Rally Championship drivers/driving.
Real people having a blast.

new2scoobs

good for him

simscooby

i don't blame him. I'd do the same if i have his money. It's ridiculous the ammount of tax people pay day. All the rich people end up leaving the country so the less wealthy have to foot the bill for the loss in revenue as rich britons won't be paying tax cause they will live abroad. Well done Labour

gallois

i don't blame hime either, millionaires should not be expected to help fund the country that made them millionaires, the working class should do it all.

mikey-r

I'd do the same and, really, will he spend any less time in this country than he does now with all the flying around for races, test sessions, PR stuff and parties?

As for characters/exciting drivers in F1..... I'm so glad I'm old enough to remember Mansell, Prost, Senna etc - proper racing! I've been to quite a few GP's over Europe but haven't bothered since the late 90's. Bring back Turbo's, slicks, manual gear sticks and ditch the traction control!!!!

M.

cster

How has this country made him a millionaire?
I am not quite sure what "working class" is supposed to mean either - defined by getting working families tax credit perhaps?

finchyboy

I agree every interview answer is "schooled" Hamilton sounds more like politition's then an F1 driver.
Sadly the last bit of charisma in F1 left with Eddie Irvine. Maybe that's no coincindence you mentioned the Irish Rally championship The Motorcycle road racing over the water is also superb spectacle where the riders can often be seen having spannering on there own bikes or even having a pint after the racing!!
I think they have their motorsport set up spot on over in Ireland!!

Microstar

The rich in the UK pay relatively little tax if they have a decent accountant. That's why there are so many rich foreigners in London. UK rates of tax on high earners are lower than in the US and most European countries.
The problem is that there is always somewhere where the tax is a bit lower, if its not Switzerland then its Monaco or Lichtenstein.

Where did Hamilton get his money from? It didn't fall from the sky. He got it mostly from sponsors and the sponsors got it from all of us by adding a little bit onto what they charge for their products.

Hamilton, like all of us, has benefited from the contributions of previous tax payers - they paid for his schooling, health care and (for all we know) benefits that his parents and family were paid in the past. I don't think it is too much to ask that he thank his good fortune at the opportunities the UK gave him and pay a little back. But I guess, like most people, he's greedy and as soon as he gets a bit of cash he's off. Good riddance to the guy.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Hmmmmm tax in CH may be low but everything else is 2-3 times the price, food is outrageously priced in CH.

I thought the choice of food in Germany was bad until I went into a supermarket in CH and was confronted by next to no choice and sky high prices.

Couple that with the draconian motoring laws, he is in for a right laugh NOT!!

CH is a nice place but if I was him it would be the last place on my list to move to.

new2scoobs

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fred coupe

i think lewis would do himself a favour by racing at ferrari. fred

Abdabz

I totally agree... I said exactly the same thing to some friends at work this very morning before reading this post

fred coupe

i agree

stilover

If I had his money I'd leave this sh1thole country behind too.

I think his reason is Bollox though. Why he didn't just say what Button said when he moved to Monoco. "For Tax reasons".

That's the real reason, and we all know it. Just admit it.

Devildog

That's a very naieve viewpoint.

Hamilton gets his money from a) McLaren and b) direct sponsors.

Most of which is non UK cash.

In the tax he's paid to date he will have more than covered the cost of his schooling and health care. Probably covered the cost for his entire family as well.

He will have paid his "debt" to the uk many times over by now and quite rightly is thinking WTF should I give the Uk government 50% ish of what I earn?

More realistic taxation and public spending is the problem here, not a high earner wanting to keep a larger slice of what he is paid.

fred coupe

hamilton deserves all the money he gets

Martin2005

What a load of nonsense, the way you write about it, anyone would think that Brown is stuffing the money under his matress.
I hate paying tax, but it's the price you pay for living in a modern democratic country.
I think the Government should tax the little dodger everytime he returns to the UK

fred coupe

i think they should continue taxing him even when hes out of the uk

davyboy

I've told you a million times not to exagerate!

I spent a week there in the summer and it isn't that bad at all. Some food essentials are slightly more, but I don't think that will worry Hamilton.

Devildog

You could argue that its the price you pay for living in a modern democratic society run by idiots who squander billions of tax revenue on wars we did not need to get involved in, weapons systems we may, or may not need, an NHS in administrative chaos, corrupt local government, etc, etc etc,.....

The list goes on.

There are a number of modern democratic societies in which the rates of tax are significantly lower than the UK and in which beinga high earner is seen as a good thing, not a bad thing.

10% of £5m pa is somewhat better than 40% of nothing.

fred coupe

ive also been to china i found the food reasonably cheap

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

each to their own opinion but you just try living there on a day to day basis when you have to shop for essentials and so on.

Admitedly the cost shouldn't worry Hamilton but no matter how rich you are you will soon get fed up with paying over the odds for basic items, you just try buying steaks, or meat in general and then you will see what I mean, BBQs are a very expensive past time.