Should Lewis Hamilton be allowed to use the UK flag?

[VectraMan]

Of course it's to do with his tax status. He can still own a home and pay tax in the UK if he wanted to. He travels the world most of the year anyway for races and testing cars.

There may be other reasons for choosing Monaco over Stevenage than just tax.

He doesn't work in the UK very often. Would he even be paying UK tax if he lived here?

[BrilloPad]

I think he should apply for Czechoslovakian nationality, then he can wrap himself up in the checkered flag

Or become French and wrap himself up in a white flag?

Get my coat for me while you are at the cloakroom.....

[EternalOptimist]

Or become French and wrap himself up in a white flag?

Get my coat for me while you are at the cloakroom.....

half the people here think he is up to some form of chicanery

[darmstadt]

There are good reasons to leave Britain, but tax isn't one - Max Hastings

[northernladuk]

I bet Simon Dolan is watching this carefully lol...

[DodgyAgent]

Since when has paying tax ever been a moral virtue?

[cojak]

...and if I could do the same in his position I'd be off like a shot and not look back.

[shaunbhoy]

Of course he should be allowed. Just more Daily Wail bulltulip!!

[BrilloPad]

...and if I could do the same in his position I'd be off like a shot and not look back.

Could we have a whip round?

I am assuming there is no internet abroad so you can't be a mod from there.

[Batcher]

Are you suggesting that he wasn't telling the truth when he said it wasn't about his tax status, it was just that he needed his privacy in a tax shelter?

I don't think he was bothered that much by paps as he was out of the country most of the time working anyway. Plus, with the millions he has, he could easily buy an estate that is well secured from prying eyes.

If the high earners would just be honest and say they don't want to put money back into the country when they've made it big then people would probably agree with them, much like Rod Stewart did back in the 70s when tax was 97% at the high end.

Obviously no-one likes paying tax but when you get to that level of earning power you're not really going to miss a few extra £k. Most sportsmen request their fee net of tax so they are paid the extra on top to take care of it. Some, like Hamilton, try to make more money out of the deal by paying less tax.