‘Pay 50% tax? I’d rather be in Guernsey….’
Tuesday 25th May 2010, 2:29PM BST.
CO-FOUNDER of financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown and chairman of Bristol City FC Stephen Lansdown (right) is the latest to turn his back on the UK to avoid the new 50% rate.
A spokesman for Hargreaves Lansdown confirmed that Mr Lansdown, who is worth an estimated £452m., has bought a house in Guernsey.
It was co-founder Peter Hargreaves who first threatened to exit the UK in light of Labour’s new tax strategy – before doing a U-turn on his plan to leave in September.
Mr Lansdown must now fly in on match days, and limit overnight stays in the UK to just 90 a year.
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I wonder what would happen if the Island became a Tax-Haven?
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i totally agree with stephen lansdown’s decision. There is a limit to the level of taxation any person is able to tolerate. Just imagine working every week up to Wednesday lunchtime before any of the money that you earn stays in your pocket and is not whisked away by the Government. What incentive is that. No, I am not a Tory!! I am a committed Bristol City Supporter for over 60 years, who shelled out £15000 in stamp duty to the Government when I moved to Cornwall two years ago!!! It bloody well hurts!! Almost half the pain of losing to Hull at Wembley if i am honest. Good luck Mr Lansdowne and thanks for your devotion to my football team
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Cant blame him particularly as most UK cities are no go areas at night.
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Thanks for allowing me the opportunities to make a fortune within the society in which I clearly thrived. Im off now!
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Andy why do you insist on making these imbecilic comments on every article? Have you even been to the UK? Honestly, I will admit everyone one of your comments annoys me for some reason. Maybe it’s because they are usually off topic and baited, I don’t know.
I certainly can’t blame Peter Hargreaves for his decision, we would all do the same.
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Dean
In fact that there are many who not “do the same”. Many have stated they are happy to pay more tax because they are already fabulously wealthy and they understand that it is the place they live in that made them wealthy and feel that it is a small price to pay, in a democratically elected country, to give back in times of need, and to improve the chances for others.
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Arnold, I suppose so, if only we could all be as moral as these individuals.
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Arnald
That is all well & good. How much taxation is enough? There has to be a cut off point where everybody says “F*** **U.”
Never ending increases, so that politicians are in a position to be abusive with with ones hard earn’t is not much of an incentive.
The abuse is rampant. We all like to better our way of life. Realistically & honestly, it is human nature to want more & more.
I would never feel any guilt about saving myself millions of pounds when ministers would choose to squander my contributions on vulgar luxuries at their leisure.
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Paul
If the baby boomer generation had taken that view then the UK would never have recovered. Those high earners post war were being taxed in the 90s, in that time the standard of living, social stability, education, the NHS were all created. Is that not a sign of civilisation.
30 years of saying FU has led us to this.
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Paul
The MPs expenses are piffling compared to the abuse of the taxation system by those that we, in Guernsey, idolise.
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Paul
The right amount of taxation is the amount that a democratically elected government requires to deliver the public services that the public demand.
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Arnald
The MPs are some of the smuggest & worst culprits of all. Tax free cash for questions & every other conceivable trick in the book to further their own personal fortunes.
The elite look after themselves. Money changes hands so that policies are set in place for the wealthy to stay as wealthy as possible. A liar is not a liar nowadays. Deception is part & parcel for all as far as money & business is concerned.
Mentalities need to change. When the leaders can lead by example maybe people will not be so self obsessed.
I would be livid knowing my contributions were being abused by policy makers because they know they can get away with taking the P***.
You must enjoy luxuries too? The question is how far will our tastes allow our morals to be seasoned.
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Everyone of my comments annoys you thats a little harsh. Off topic because I dont blame him from moving out of the crime ridden hell hole called the UK? LOL
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“crime ridden hell hole”, Now who’s being harsh?
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Seriously Andy – you’ve clearly never been to the UK, just give up and have go have some Guernsey Gache.
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What a funny old world we live in: (and I don’t mean Ha Ha!)
Quite a lot of little ships are at Dunkirk this week end to celebrate and honour those brave men who were rescued from the Nazi Hordes.
They went on to fight again, so that England could be free.
The moral of this little story is this:
Men and women, still give their all so that we all may live in whatever we do.
In doing that many have become rich; they are called millionaires; a better name would be SCROOGE, misers that is what they are.
They made their money because brave people lost their lives in defending the way of freedom,
And now they repay that Brave lot by taking their money to a Tax-Haven.
Instead of being glad , Guernsey should be ashamed of allowing this to happen.
For mark my words; once these scrooges have settled in, and nothing to do they’ll be challenging to run the Island,
If it isn’t stopped now your kids future will be very unsafe as being of the Guernsey we once new.
Morals Where?
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50% top rate tax ( above £130k mind) is getting a bit high compared to the other big industrialised states but not horrific and it is likely to re repealed in a couple of years. At least its not the 98% sur-tax that the Labour administration in the early ’70s used to hit the wealthy with. I’m no socialist but it would be good to see the mega wealthly bare a couple of years of high taxes to help reduce the budget deficit given that they have done so well out of the decade or so of the bubble economy under New Liebour.
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I bet he’d sooner be in Guernsey-
Where else would he get such pampering, as id done by the so called chancellor and other ‘ahem’
dignitaries,
If he was just and ordinary feller he wouldn’t be noticed; actually he wouldn’t be allowed in.
The old saying “Money Talks” is so apt in this case, So I wonder what the big changes will be now that he has arrived with suit cases full of cash earned in the UK.
Don’t you feel ashamed Guernsey?
And your comments against me fall on deaf ears, Guernsey people were at one time an honest community. This kind of happening make us more anxious to be free of the UK.
Can the “Chancellor” tell us what rate of tax he will pay on his booty?
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