Rapid Responses
Running from tax
[Re: Olympic champion Usain Bolt shuns London over tax fears, yesterday]
With the closing ceremony ringing in our ears, so too is Usain Bolt’s concern about competing in the UK due to tax. The OECD model tax treaty allows the income of sports people from “personal activities” to be exempted from tax. Yet the UK chooses to disapply this rule. Although there may be merit in not relaxing our tax rules too frequently, it may be short-sighted to take such a forceful approach. The presence of these sports personalities could well produce a more long-term tax dividend, as well as keeping the flame of sporting excellence alight in the UK.
Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of taxation at Acca.
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Voluntary support
[Re: Volunteers alone will not guarantee a 2012 Games legacy, Friday]
David Hellier’s editorial has it spot on. Volunteering is economically valuable and good for society, but it can’t do everything. And it works even better when the private sector supports it. The Olympic volunteers (of which I was one) did not succeed by themselves. They made such a good show because they had the support of professional organisers from the public, private and charitable sectors.
Tom Levitt
I hope volunteering will be the greatest legacy of the Games. It’d improve so many more lives than a new stadium in London.
Scott Curtain
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TOP TWEETS
What an incredible Olympic Games. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make it run so smoothly. I’m sad to leave.
@GregJRutherfood
Quantitative easing has failed miserably in the UK, so of course Bank of England policy-maker Adam Posen demands more.
@pietercleppe
I’m glad that David Cameron thinks politicians shouldn’t be in charge of the Olympic legacy. They’d only ruin everything.
@rolandwoliver
Surely relaxing Sunday trading laws is a good thing, providing nobody is forced to work. Not everyone wants to be forced to relax.
@thestocktales