RIP Lester Piggott: Champion jockey and tax cheat
It wasn’t just racegoers who mourned the passing of legendary jockey Lester Piggott over the weekend. Many in the tax profession also doffed their hats to a man who set new records for tax evasion.
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John Stokdyk sadly passed away in June 2023. He had been with the site since 1999, rising from news editor to editor in chief, global editor and head of insight. As a roving editor, he investigated the profession's use of technology around the world. He devoted his spare time to technology history and an oddball collection of stringed...
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How historical must tax evasion become before before 'tipping off' becomes 'tipping the hat'?
Presumably, assuming he's not married, he acquired a domicile of choice in Switzerland to avoid IHT (like Richard Burton)?
https://www.step.org/step-journal/step-journal-decjan-2012-13/richard-bu...
If so and that's successful he'll have the last laugh on HMRC.
Thanks for drawing out a point that I only alluded to in the introduction. It's yet another reminder of Ken Dodd's final farewell of marrying his long-term partner shortly before he died, presumably for similar reasons:
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tax/hmrc-policy/ken-dodd-has-last-laugh-...
I think Ken Dodd basically had a better barrister defending him than LP (he delivered one of the most memorable lines of any tax case).
Ditto here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/how-the-dog-with-a-monaco-ba...
My father always said he would marry a 16 year old on his death bed to get one over on the WS annuitants fund .
His [***] for revenge came about as they made him, as a WS, contribute to the fund even when he was not married. His though process was they would then need to pay his widow her annuity for anything up to 80 years or so. (revenge being a dish........)
On a similar theme, the last known American Civil War widow died in December 2020 at the age of 101.
Aged 17, Helen Jackson married the then 93 year old James Bolin as Civil War widows were entitled to a pension. This was not uncommon and there were another three such widows known to have survived into the 21st century. However, after Bolin's death, Jackson decided not to claim the pension, fearing she would be accused of taking advantage of an old man.
Such thoughts didn't occur to Gertrude Janeway who was still receiving $35 a month when she died in 2003 for the Civil War military pension earned by her husband John Janeway having married him when she was 18 and he 81.
It is an interesting one and relatively close(ish) to hand to the history of the larger firm that my firm was spun out of. There were a lot of connections to Newmarket and indeed one of the similar branded firms still as a major presence there.
I was reminding myself over the weekend and it was one of the partners of the older firm who took on Mr Piggott's tax returns after his release and what I read a 2nd disclosure to HMRC
This was all pre my time joining said firm, but the urban myth certainly flourished here
Miser and tax criminal
Rich tax evaders and criminals are just people stealing from the country and the community.
At least Dodd did a bit of charity work
Rip Lester, you left your mark on the tax system, not only did you stump up a load of cash you caused the Inland Revenue to change its approach in prosecution cases and we will never know the full extent of the extra tax, interest and penalties you brought in as a result of other jockeys owning up to their tax evasion.
Rip Lester, you left your mark on the tax system, not only did you stump up a load of cash you caused the Inland Revenue to change its approach in prosecution cases and we will never know the full extent of the extra tax, interest and penalties you brought in as a result of other jockeys owning up to their tax evasion but it was considerable.
Sorry, I have a sense of humour that will stand against most. However, I find the headline and several comments offensive. I expected better from this site . I personally dislike horse racing but a man has died, yes he cheated but so do many in life and I wonder how many who have commented are 100% perfect in all aspects of their life. It is to be hoped that none of his family and friends ever visit this site.
You'd prefer a complete whitewashing of his criminal past I suppose? Also, this is a free country with free speech etc. last time I checked (although it's ever diminishing thanks to the likes of you). So well done Aweb I say!
Just coz people like him and Bob Maxwell eventually kick the bucket does not mean they are somehow thereby absolved of their crimes and we are not allowed to freely comment on them.
As for offending friends & relatives of the deceased, where do you suggest we draw the line re such crimes? Hitler?
In fact, bad publicity should be encouraged generally, for its deterrent effect. That's one of the main reasons we have open justice in this country.
It is not a question of whitewashing his criminal past, the man paid for his crimes. The Queen forgave him and was reported as asking his family how he was during his health problems. He remained her favourite jockey.
My comments centred on the disrepect this site and some comments showed, he was a human being and no doubt loved by his family, friends and admired for his career by many others.
Your comment about Hitler and Robert Maxwell is in itself, simply childish and does you no credit.
So under the guise of free speech you can have your opinions but attempt to close down mine . You state that thanks to the likes of me that free speech is diminishing, well you do not know me, if you did you would realise how completely wrong you are.
Your comment about open justice is not relevant in this case, for clarity look at the definition.
Justin remember, 'Judge not lest ye be judged'
Justin likes free speech as long as it agrees with him. There is some irony in him criticising you whilst praising free speech, no?
Rubbish. Look here a scientist freely criticizing another scientist despite the fact he's recently died a horrible death as an example of the free speech I support.
https://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=12910#comments
That dead scientist was not even a criminal!
This is to be contrasted with gratuitous mocking of the dead like this which is of course unacceptable:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61680319
This other eminent publication has no such qualms at least I'm glad to say: https://www.taxation.co.uk/articles/news-this-week-