Lewis Hamilton leaves the UK
30 October 2007, 01:05 PM
#31
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Newcastle-under-lyme
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't forget Villeneuve for real star quality, awesome driving ability and car control, character by the bucket load. Sadly missed.
And I don't mean Jacques
(Giles is the man)
And I don't mean Jacques
(Giles is the man)
30 October 2007, 02:06 PM
#38
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 400
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Switzerland is outside the EU and has stringent laws on financial secrecy. No one will know what Hamilton earns - I suspect that's a major factor in the move. Switzerland also taxes wealthy foreigners quite likely. Taxes for Swiss people are high - my cousin is a Swiss resident and owns a restaurant in Thun. The taxes and health insurance costs are very high. Its a great country for the rich, not quite so good for the average earner.
30 October 2007, 04:07 PM
#40
Scooby Regular
Its not a niave viewpoint at all. If Hamilton's got a decent accountant (which I assume he will have) then he will not have paid much tax to date. The UK has one of the most lax tax regimes for the rich of any EU country - in fact it probably has the lowest marginal rates for higher earners in the entire EU. It can't escape your notice that many foreigners have moved to London to take advantage of low tax rates. In fact American bankers are now moving to London and commuting to New York!
Switzerland is outside the EU and has stringent laws on financial secrecy. No one will know what Hamilton earns - I suspect that's a major factor in the move. Switzerland also taxes wealthy foreigners quite likely. Taxes for Swiss people are high - my cousin is a Swiss resident and owns a restaurant in Thun. The taxes and health insurance costs are very high. Its a great country for the rich, not quite so good for the average earner.
Switzerland is outside the EU and has stringent laws on financial secrecy. No one will know what Hamilton earns - I suspect that's a major factor in the move. Switzerland also taxes wealthy foreigners quite likely. Taxes for Swiss people are high - my cousin is a Swiss resident and owns a restaurant in Thun. The taxes and health insurance costs are very high. Its a great country for the rich, not quite so good for the average earner.
HMRC have been cracking down on tax avoidance schemes for years now, closing loopholes and tightening regulations.
As I don't live or work in London I have no idea how many foreigners have moved there. Just because the UK is better than some countries, doesn't make it worth staying if you are looking at the earnings Lewis Hamilton is likely to have in the next few years.
The Uk has stringent laws on financial secrecy too - I'm not sure what your point is? Aside from HMRC, my employer, my bank and my wife, no one knows what I earn either. Would be no different if I lived in Switzerland.
Wealthy foreigners pay less tax to encourage them to bring heir wealth to the country. Bloody good financial sense if you ask me. Not like the uk where numerous governments have taken the opposite view simply to appease the great unwashed and hence retain their vote.
Anyway, parts of Switzerland are absolutely magical, and as a whole it makes England look like a cess pit. Couple that with low tax and decent privacy and why wouldn't you go?
Edit to add, if any of you lot whingeing about this were on multi millions per annum, you'd be doing exactly the same thing
30 October 2007, 05:24 PM
#41
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,236
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I read in the Daily Express yesterday morning that Lewis Hamilton had no interest in moving to Switzerland and how happy he was with his mates in London.
Then I turned on Radio 5 at about 7 pm yesterday, to hear that Lewis Hamilton is moving to Switzerland.
Then I turned on Radio 5 at about 7 pm yesterday, to hear that Lewis Hamilton is moving to Switzerland.
31 October 2007, 01:28 PM
#42
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 39,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well you have to allow for the occasional grossly wrong items published by the press who are looking to sell papers anyway of course!
I am inclined to believe exactly what he says about not being able to have a life of his own and understand why he wants to move to Switzerland for a bit of comparative peace.
Whatever you might think or however much you want to knock him down for your own purposes, you cannot but admit that he is a truly outstanding driver in the Schumacher mould and deserves all the praise he has got for his achievements both in F1 and in the years before that. A bit of unselfish goodwill is certainly due towards him just for that. It is a pity to see people trying to knock him and comparing him to drivers who could not have held a candle to his driving.
I personally wish him good luck for the world championship next year.
Les
I am inclined to believe exactly what he says about not being able to have a life of his own and understand why he wants to move to Switzerland for a bit of comparative peace.
Whatever you might think or however much you want to knock him down for your own purposes, you cannot but admit that he is a truly outstanding driver in the Schumacher mould and deserves all the praise he has got for his achievements both in F1 and in the years before that. A bit of unselfish goodwill is certainly due towards him just for that. It is a pity to see people trying to knock him and comparing him to drivers who could not have held a candle to his driving.
I personally wish him good luck for the world championship next year.
Les
31 October 2007, 01:59 PM
#43
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: www.tiovicente.com
Posts: 2,006
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mosley sticking the knife into McLaren yet again. When will they get rid of that idiot? We need a similar coup d'etat similar to Balestre's.
BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Hamilton 'may be negative for F1'
BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Hamilton 'may be negative for F1'
31 October 2007, 06:26 PM
#44
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 643
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Draconian motoring laws?? Speed in any country where the cops have a radar gun and you get busted. Germany is unique in its autobahn laws.
This would have to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Freddy Mercury chose to live here because everyone left him alone (especially when he was dying of AIDS) I think the same goes for the Ice Man (lives just up the road), Shumi is somewhere down in the French part, Bernie Eccleston apparently lives here as well??
I dont doubt that they get tax benefits from living here (hell, i can go and discuss what my tax rate should be) but they do also benefit from the Swiss mentality of privacy, its just not the done thing to hassle people without a reason (best hope he puts his rubbish in the right bag)
Taxes depend on the canton you live in. I live in Zug and I am an average to above average wage earner and pay a total of 12% income tax. I do pay unemployment tax, health tax and one or two others which brings my total tax bill to 18% of what I earn
I know a tax consultant here and Hamilton would probably get away with 5-6%
If I had his cash I would live there, oh wait, I am broke and love living here
Last edited by swaussie; 31 October 2007 at 06:37 PM.
31 October 2007, 06:50 PM
#46
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The land of Daisies and Bubbles!
Posts: 5,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
etc - proper racing!
Bring back the days of Lord Hesketh!
31 October 2007, 07:15 PM
#48
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i wouldnt hold it against him to be honest!
to get where he is now, has took a shed load of hard work, why are people pissed off because he wasnt to eat more slices of his own cake, then gordon brown
to get where he is now, has took a shed load of hard work, why are people pissed off because he wasnt to eat more slices of his own cake, then gordon brown
01 November 2007, 02:12 AM
#49
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Martin 2005 wrote "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"
I agree that tax is a necessary evil.
But I have worked in central and local government and seen how incompetent civil servants and politicians waste, utterly waste our taxes, and that it why I resent giving 51.5% at the top rate plus VAT at 17.5%, plus petrol duty, plus stamp duty when I move to get nearer to my new job, plus death duties, plus, plus, bluddy plus.
If we taxpayers got proper value for OUR money, there would be 500,000 fewer civil servants, no MRSA in our hospitals, free nursing homes for the elderly, high quality schooling, good road infrastucture, and fast and efficient public transport amongst all the other things that could be provided.
As it is, many of the politicians and civil servants are third rate people who would not survive in the real world in which most of us live.
We are over-taxed and it is about time we did something about it.
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"
I agree that tax is a necessary evil.
But I have worked in central and local government and seen how incompetent civil servants and politicians waste, utterly waste our taxes, and that it why I resent giving 51.5% at the top rate plus VAT at 17.5%, plus petrol duty, plus stamp duty when I move to get nearer to my new job, plus death duties, plus, plus, bluddy plus.
If we taxpayers got proper value for OUR money, there would be 500,000 fewer civil servants, no MRSA in our hospitals, free nursing homes for the elderly, high quality schooling, good road infrastucture, and fast and efficient public transport amongst all the other things that could be provided.
As it is, many of the politicians and civil servants are third rate people who would not survive in the real world in which most of us live.
We are over-taxed and it is about time we did something about it.
01 November 2007, 05:22 AM
#50
Scooby Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: HONG KONG
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Americans get taxed on earnings in and out of the US. The only way thay can avoid tax is to give up their passport. Unlike UK citizens (smug git in HK paying flat 15%)
01 November 2007, 01:09 PM
#51
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 39,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Martin 2005 wrote "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"
I agree that tax is a necessary evil.
But I have worked in central and local government and seen how incompetent civil servants and politicians waste, utterly waste our taxes, and that it why I resent giving 51.5% at the top rate plus VAT at 17.5%, plus petrol duty, plus stamp duty when I move to get nearer to my new job, plus death duties, plus, plus, bluddy plus.
If we taxpayers got proper value for OUR money, there would be 500,000 fewer civil servants, no MRSA in our hospitals, free nursing homes for the elderly, high quality schooling, good road infrastucture, and fast and efficient public transport amongst all the other things that could be provided.
As it is, many of the politicians and civil servants are third rate people who would not survive in the real world in which most of us live.
We are over-taxed and it is about time we did something about it.
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"
I agree that tax is a necessary evil.
But I have worked in central and local government and seen how incompetent civil servants and politicians waste, utterly waste our taxes, and that it why I resent giving 51.5% at the top rate plus VAT at 17.5%, plus petrol duty, plus stamp duty when I move to get nearer to my new job, plus death duties, plus, plus, bluddy plus.
If we taxpayers got proper value for OUR money, there would be 500,000 fewer civil servants, no MRSA in our hospitals, free nursing homes for the elderly, high quality schooling, good road infrastucture, and fast and efficient public transport amongst all the other things that could be provided.
As it is, many of the politicians and civil servants are third rate people who would not survive in the real world in which most of us live.
We are over-taxed and it is about time we did something about it.
Les
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Sam Witwicky
Engine Management and ECU Remapping
17
13 November 2015 10:49 AM