samkydd

But now that only 40% is the high end, and with good accountants a lot of their gross income is taken out tax free in contrived expenses, they still live abroad because the weather here is so bad most of the time.

Even Max Bygraves who was resident in Bournemouth for many years has now retired to Australia (watch out for his new CD "Billabonga Max" ).

The difference is of course that the rich and famous can afford homes all over the world, so they don't have to move lock stock and barrel, they just duplicate all their stuff and go to whatever home they please.

Unfortunately for the "normal" folk who decide to flee these shores, they burn their bridges and if things don't quite work out as they imagined in Spain or France or wherever it's much more difficult to return. Therefore it takes a lot of courage to take that step in the first place, and as the English are treated like lepers in most other European countries, it's often more of an ordeal than an adventure!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

christoph404

I don't think there is any such thing as contrived expenses, you can only claim expenses on things vital for your work, contrary to popular belief that does not include expensive dinners or holidays abroad The Inland Revenue are very wise to all those things and will question anything they deem not relevant. The IR once challenged me as to why I was claiming an air ticket to Scotland against my expenses, I had to produce all sorts of documents and receipts to prove that I was going on a commisioned photo shoot and not just visiting my mum!! Its actually not easy to pull the wool over the eyes of the IR and not wise, you could end up in prison!! Actors often have their trips around the world and stays at posh hotels paid for directly by the film company when they are promoting a film, so when so and so comes to London to stay at the Hilton and dine out at expensive restaurants its all paid for because they are appearing on some chat show to promote their latest film. Part of Daniel Craig's contract as Bond is to tirelessley travel the globe attending film premiers and appearing on chat shows promoting the Bond film, I can't imagine he has to get his credit card out to finance any of that. As for the British climate....its beeen pretty rubbish this past year and its even worse in Scotland which is where I'm from, I like Britain and I love Scotland but I would love to live in a warmer clime such as Spain or France....or at least spend more time somewhere sunny rather than bleak rainy London...wouldn't we all...

ShirlGirl

Love that song! - takes me straight back to the Costa Brava.... the summer of '66.... the pub where I worked played it constantly. Along with God Only Knows on the flip side.

BristolUK

But I was not talking about the level of income before one had to pay tax, I was referring to the bloody high level before the high rate became payable.

I suppose it depends on your definition of bloody high.

I'm just looking at HMRC figures for 1973. The rates were staged. 30% up to £5k (after pa).
40% from £5k to £6k, 45% from £6k etc etc right up to the top rate of 75% at over £20k.

The 83% rate came for 1974/75.

So as I said - correctly - the top rate was only payable above a bloody high figure.

I don't know about your salary levels but in 1973 mine was £545.
I would think £20k justifies the term bloody high.

In 1984 I was earning £6k, by which time the top rate had reduced to 60% but it was still only payable above £36k - SIX times what I was on and still bloody high.

David Brent

Did you ever walk along Waterloo Sunset ?

Dave.

christoph404

In 1973 I had a paper round, think my salary was about 45pence per week which was not taxable Yes I guess it does depend on what you think is a high level,whatever way you look at it those tax rates were crippling, as I said an E Type was about £3k then, so that kind of gives an idea of what you could buy for you dosh taking inflation into account.Maths was never my good subject but at those rates if you earned £150k your tax bill would be about £100k? I think the killer for most self employed and high earning actors of that time is the notion of having to pay a portion of your tax in advance for the forthcoming year, after paying your tax bill in january of approx £100k the IR would be looking for some tax on account in June for the projected year ahead, another £50k which would leave you with approximatley zero or close to it in your bank account! Its no wonder high earners did a runner from the UK! If you worked on a big film one year and got paid a hefty sum, it would be wise to declare youself living abroad and resting the following year especially if you wanted to put food on the table!

David Brent

A recent UKTV Gold survey of 3,000 people showed that an amazing 23% of those surveyed believed that Winston Churchill did not actually exist and was a myth.

The same amount of people thought that Florence Nightingale didn't exist and a whopping 47% thought that Richard The Lionheart was also a myth.

Yet, a staggering 58% of people surveyed thought that Sherlock Holmes was real and 33% thought that Biggles really existed.

How on earth could anyone of any age in Britain not know of Winston Churchill .
The mind boggles.

Obviously school history lessons in the UK are not what they used to be.

Dave.

penfold

Us oldies forget how long ago all this was, now; how much did I know about the politicians of WW1 when I was in school in the sixties?? Not much..

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

christoph404

Is Sherlock Holmes not real then!...... If you asked a young person what they knew about The Madonna I think you can guess what the answer would be!

Marky B

They're not. If Tony Bliar had his way,1997 would be Year Zero in Britain.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Harleybloke

You lot, pah!

Next you'll be telling me Homer Simpson is a cartoon character!

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

Moor Larkin

He is! You were probably thinking of Homer Sapiens......

How come all these foreign Johnny's come here to play footie in the Premier League for humungous celery? Don't foreign johnny's pay tax?

By the same token...... how come our own F-1-Lewis has had to F-Off?

Vicboyd001

I emigrated in March of last year and yes there have been periods of homesickness, I missed old friends and family but can see no point in returning to a poorer existence in a drink led society of political correctness gone mad.

Marky B

You said it.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

Yes, they did say it. You're quite right. Well done

Steve