Hero to Zero (Mo Farah content)?

Hero to Zero (Mo Farah content)?

Author
Discussion

Bluequay

1,986 posts

218 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Why is it ungrateful, if he's living in the US he will have to pay taxes there. He moved to train there with his coach, he hasn't moved to a tax haven to avoid paying tax, it is a complete non-story. He's won several gold medals for Britain he's more the repaid his part of the bargain.

The real story should be, should we be funding multi-millionaire athletes, I don't think we should, that money would be better off going towards the next generation of athletes coming up.

Eric Mc

121,895 posts

265 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Top professional sports stars have lived in tax havens for years. Jersey is popular with golfers. SIR Jackie Stewart spent much of his life in Switzerland. Other great "Brits", many beknighted, have lived abroad to avoid UK taxes in the past (Sean Connery, Michael Caine, David Coulthard etc etc). The list is long.

Mo isn't exactly in a tax haven.

P-Jay

10,561 posts

191 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Be under no illusions, 'we' or the British Olympic Team or whatever give him money to train / live so we can win medals at major events - it's a strictly business-like deal, as anyone involved in a non-Olympic sport or are at sub-Olympic level will tell you, "no chance of a medal, no money". It's nothing to do with diversity, or whatever.

As I mention above he's not pretending to live in a flat in Monaco to save money on his self-assessment like so many others, he lives in the US. I suspect when he retires he'll return to the UK.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

205 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
I doubt the BBC will be reporting this with much leftie vigour... usual apologies etc

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542576/BB...

bigandclever

13,767 posts

238 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
TDIPLC said:
Considering that he's availed himself of UK tax payers money since the age of 8n and the he's accepted the CBE, perhaps it's a little ungrateful?
Due to HMRC's way of taxing overseas athletes who come to the UK for training/competiton he's likely to be looking at paying a significant amount in tax anyway, just by coming over and doing the London Marathon.

Hector said:
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs taxes the earnings by overseas athletes from appearance fees and prize money at 50 per cent. It also taxes athletes on a proportion of their global endorsement income.
The number of days a foreign athlete spends training and competing in Britain in a year is divided by the total number of days the athlete trains and competes around the world. HMRC uses the figure to calculate the percentage of global income that is taxable.
It's one of the reasons why some of the big earners don't bother competing in the UK, they couldn't earn enough to cover their tax bill to a country they don't even live in smile

simoid

19,772 posts

158 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Clearly this man should be forced to remain in the UK for the rest of his life because he gets funding from us to help him win medals.

rolleyes


anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Mo isn't exactly in a tax haven.
Quite. As US resident he'll be paying US federal and state taxes on his worldwide income AND higher UK taxes on his worldwide income pro-rated for the days he ever 'works' in the UK again. US-UK double tax treaty doesn't credit him for all of his UK tax so he'll likely be paying MORE tax than when he was UK resident; over 60%!!! The deliberate implication of tax dodging is either ignorant or dishonest and in any event I don't understand why this is public, surely ones tax afairs are private?

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/22859008...


Magog

2,652 posts

189 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
bigandclever said:
Due to HMRC's way of taxing overseas athletes who come to the UK for training/competiton he's likely to be looking at paying a significant amount in tax anyway, just by coming over and doing the London Marathon.

Hector said:
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs taxes the earnings by overseas athletes from appearance fees and prize money at 50 per cent. It also taxes athletes on a proportion of their global endorsement income.
The number of days a foreign athlete spends training and competing in Britain in a year is divided by the total number of days the athlete trains and competes around the world. HMRC uses the figure to calculate the percentage of global income that is taxable.
It's one of the reasons why some of the big earners don't bother competing in the UK, they couldn't earn enough to cover their tax bill to a country they don't even live in smile
Does that mean we actually made money from hosting the olympics. wink

Digga

40,293 posts

283 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
fblm said:
Eric Mc said:
Mo isn't exactly in a tax haven.
Quite. As US resident he'll be paying US federal and state taxes on his worldwide income AND higher UK taxes on his worldwide income pro-rated for the days he ever 'works' in the UK again. US-UK double tax treaty doesn't credit him for all of his UK tax so he'll likely be paying MORE tax than when he was UK resident; over 60%!!! The deliberate implication of tax dodging is either ignorant or dishonest and in any event I don't understand why this is public, surely ones tax afairs are private?

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/22859008...
As others here have said, there are plenty of other examples of "British favourite" sports celebrities - F1, football, rugby - who are, effectively and for tax purposes, non-resident. As you say, living in the US will most certainly not be a low tax regime.

turbobloke

103,854 posts

260 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
And it's not as if he's just moved there.
And if minimising tax burdens is OK for the BBC's 'stars' in terms of setting up companies to receive payments, lawful tax avoidance must be OK and right-on morally for everybody else.

bigandclever

13,767 posts

238 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Magog said:
Does that mean we actually made money from hosting the olympics. wink
Course not smile The Olympics were 'an exception'. Like the Champions League is, and no doubt loads of others.

Ali Chappussy

876 posts

145 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
He was born in Somalia, but moved to the UK ages 8. Mo currently resides in Teddington, south-west London, and has frequently spoken of his pride at representing Britian in athletic events across the globe.

He once said: "It's where I grew up. I don't know nothing but England."




He'll be kissing the badge on his running top next!

anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Unlikely. To use the quote above "It's where I grew up. I don't know nothing but England."

P-Jay

10,561 posts

191 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
No, he's a British Citizen.

Incidentally for those who feel the need to mention his nationality as "British" rather than British, if it makes you feel any better his Dad is British and was born in London.

Edited by P-Jay on Monday 20th January 15:33

Eric Mc

121,895 posts

265 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Establishing a new country of domicile other than the one in which you were born is actually quite hard. Making statements like "I know nothing but England" is helpful if you want to establish a UK domicile, but on its own it may not be good enough.

Habitually living outside the UK for long periods of time could work in the opposite direction.

rohrl

8,723 posts

145 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
Like Jenson Button (Jersey) and Lewis Hamilton (Switzerland) then?

pork911

7,115 posts

183 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
TDIPLC said:
Considering that he's availed himself of UK tax payers money since the age of 8n and the he's accepted the CBE, perhaps it's a little ungrateful?
How much more tax than you are legally obliged to pay have you paid?

pork911

7,115 posts

183 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I'm struggling to imagine how anyone could be a nondom because of their place of birth?

anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
rohrl said:
Like Jenson Button (Jersey) and Lewis Hamilton (Switzerland) then?
No not really. The US isn't exactly a tax haven, except Delaware.

allnighter

6,663 posts

222 months

Monday 20th January 2014
quotequote all
HonestIago said:
TDIPLC said:
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/olympic-hero-mo-farah-app...

Somalian born "British" CBE holder doesn't seem to like paying UK taxes.

What dop you think?
This WILL upset the BBC! laugh

After all he is their poster boy for the resounding success of multiculturalism, diversity and enrichment provided by Muslims from the third world etc etc.
Red Top Tabloidesque sensationalism coming from these two posters. What shocking news! Wow!