Lewis contract situation

[Jen]

All I know is that ALL sportsmen are paid far too much. Sporting talent should be saluted, so should intellectual talent, managerial talent, creative talent, even political talent - however no-one should be able to command millions of pounds merely because their field of expertise is a televised commodity!

 

[Kewee]

rufus_mcdufus ...... Can't speak for all the drivers mentioned but Alonso moved back to Spain some time ago at a cost of $50 million in tax and lives and pays Spanish taxes. To be honest if the British Government weren't so excessive with the upper tax rate high earners such as Hamilton probably wouldn't mind contributing. For what it's worth I'm a great believer in a flat tax rate. High income earners are already paying a hell of a lot more than most due to their income, why should they be penalised even further. It's really like a penalty for success when their contribution is already excessive.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

I seem to recall Lewis has to pay UK income tax on a fraction of his total earnings for the British GP. He probably still pays more tax on earnings for that one race than I'll pay in a lifetime.

 

[Hamberg]

Is it because he's British and most of the criticism comes from Brits?

Id assume not given Button has been living in Guernsey-Monaco-Guernsey and also safely not paying tax.

I'd assume it's because he's Hamilton.

 

[Viscount]

rufus_mcdufus With our ridiculous sports tax laws in the UK Lewis & every other non-UK based driver on the grid has to pay 50% tax on their earnings from the British GP and then also a percentage of their global endorsement/sponsorship income for the year (because the government feel a UK sporting event enhances their worldwide profile).

 

[Bill Boddy]

One thing that I never minded doing was paying income tax; the more tax I paid meant the more money I was being paid.

 

[Jen]

Not so long ago the truly wealthy paid 96p (?) in the pound to the Revenue! Yes, they kept 4p out of every pound they earned.

I remember having a mortgage that attracted an interest rate of over 16%. - early 90s p'raps

Perhaps we should all be grateful for small mercies in these days of austerity!!

 

[siffert_fan]

Does the Queen pay taxes?

 

[FB]

No, she's paid from taxes.

 

[Jen]

Yes she does FB, http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/Royalfinances/Taxation.aspx

 

[FB]

Well there you go, we give her money and she gives some back. Brilliant.

 

[Jen]

Not a monarchist then?

I suspect that the UK actually makes quite a lot out of her. And she pays the revenue on her personal finances, which should never be confused with what the country owns but 'allows' her to use.

 

[siffert_fan]

Hamberg

If you think that Hamilton has sacrificed to get to his current position, I suggest that you look at what people have to go thru to become doctors. In Canada and the US (at least), they have to go thru college, then medical school, then serve both an internship and residency (which are akin to indentured servitude) before they even begin their practice. And, during all that time, they have been running up HUGE bills which they must repay.

Yet there are doctors in the UK, which, presumably means that they are not paid so much that they run off to a tax haven.

Which do you think is more important to society: a doctor saving lives or some (any) sportsman providing entertainment?

 

[FB]

Life ain't fair is it? Anyway, I didn't come here for a lecture in Communism.

 

[Hamberg]

siffert_fan, what FB said

 

[Il_leone]

rufus_mcdufus probably not because Alonso and Vettel are treated like heroes in their own countries...

The British media do love to scorn people who work hard to get paid what they deserve... I don't think it helps when we overhear how much are footballers are paid and the money comes from hardworking and loyal supporters and you see them going out partying and hear about their conquests with a blonde and drive a fast car and not have a successful career.

The other issue seems to be Hamilton has broken the trend of traditional motor racing drivers from Britain from a middle class background and with lots of money because their parents could afford it . There is a bit of racism element.... unfortunately with Lewis everything he says is scrutinized to the extreme.

Living in Switzerland to evade tax is nothing new except he did not give a typical PR answer and got slaughtered for it .

The only other sports person who gets a lot of criticism in their home country is Floyd " The Money " Mayweather... now that guy that seem to love to gloat how rich he is and how he is box office which really antagonises people who are paying to watch his matches just to see him decked on the floor

 

[-WBF1-]

Just to throw another question into the mix, why aren't these questions asked about David Coulthard and Eddie Jordon who, I believe, live in Monaco and take money from the BBC.

 

[siffert_fan]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism

 

[Hamberg]

http://i.word.com/idictionary/pedantic

 

[Kewee]

Just to throw another question into the mix, why aren't these questions asked about David Coulthard and Eddie Jordon who, I believe, live in Monaco and take money from the BBC.

They don't take money from the BBC. That turn of phrase suggests they give nothing in return. They're employed by the BBC to provide commentary for the viewers. Whether you agree with their commentary or not is irrelevant, they are still on the BBC's payroll.