Trump rejects he quit UK for tax reasons after Fury and Ferdinand move | Other | Sport
Judd Trump has insisted that he didn’t leave the UK for tax reasons – instead for better weather and snooker facilities. Trump, 36, has been living has been living in Dubai and Hong Kong for more than a year-and-a-half.
The Bristol-born ace does, however, travel back to Britain for the many major snooker events, such as the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield and the UK Championship in York.
Another UK-based event that Trump is due to compete in is the Masters – with the one-time world champion set to go up against Ding Junhui in his first round match on Wednesday.
While there are financial benefits about being in the Middle East, Trump reckons there are several personal reasons why he relocated. Trump, a two-time Masters champion, explained: “We can’t get away with tax.
“Everything (earned) in the UK is still taxed. So that’s not the reason. For me, the reason for going is I enjoy spending time outdoors, and I can’t really get that here in the UK anymore.
“I enjoy playing golf a lot in my downtime, and I brought some of my clubs to the UK Championship, but I was unable to play as it was too cold. So there’s a few reasons. I’ve always wanted to move to Dubai. I just felt like now is the time, when the game is changing, really.
“Half the tournaments are abroad. I can imagine that there’s going to be a day where it’s actually beneficial to be in Dubai, or wherever it is, rather than in the UK anymore. That’s what I feel. Obviously because of Zhao Xintong, there’s going to be more tournaments in China in the future and abroad.”
Trump is not the only sports star to have moved to Dubai in the last couple of years. Indeed, ex-Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand is another that has relocated to the Middle East.
Speaking in November, Ferdinand told LBC: “If there were things like the health service and what not, and they were flying and working perfectly well then I think people wouldn’t mind paying tax.
“But when things are falling apart – or going wrong – you did sit there and go; ‘Well I’m paying all this tax, but is it really going towards thew things that benefit the people that live here’. And that’s the big question that needs answering – and I think a lot of us know the answer to that.”
Ferdinand, who left his punditry role with TNT Sports last season, has also claimed he gets more family time since making the move. “My family is seeing me so much more and I’m spending some quality time with them and I think that’s just been a great thing for me,” he said.
“I love England and I’m a patriotic guy in that sense, but a new journey, a new chapter, something different, I think is a refreshing new chapter in my life.”
Tyson Fury is another sportsman who has relocated, with the heavyweight boxing champion relocating to the Isle of Man.
