James DeGale says he will never quit Britain for a tax haven after admitting he ‘loves London’ and needs dad’s help to change a tyre
JAMES DeGALE insists he will never quit living in Britain despite getting hammered by the tax man.
The IBF world super-middleweight champion, who defends his title against Caleb Truax tonight, is now established as one of the top earning boxers.
DeGale could save fortunes by living abroad in a foreign tax haven where the likes of multi millionaires F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and record breaking cyclist Chris Froome have established their base.
But DeGale, who fights in the UK for the first time in three years at east London’s Copper Box Arena said: “I pay the taxman here in the UK.
"Forty seven per cent of my earnings goes to the taxman but I have never thought about going to live in somewhere like Monaco.
“I’ve never been tempted to live in somewhere like Switzerland but I was tempted to go and live in America where there is also much less tax.
“I thought about going to Miami, I like it a lot there but I don’t know if I could leave London, I love London. I don’t think I could leave my family either, they look after me.
“I’m a baby really and rely on my mum and sister Eloise to do everything for me. I am like if my tyre is flat, Hello mum, what shall I do?
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“I remember being a lot younger and my dad Leroy telling me about the taxman and I never really understood him.
“But now that I am earning my own living, getting good money, I can see what he was talking about.”
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Truax, fighting outside of the US for the first time, is not expected to last the distance and already DeGale, 31, is hoping a mega return clash against WBA world champ George Groves is on the cards for late next year.
A clash against Groves, who beat DeGale in their early days as pros, would generate a bumper pay day for the fighters - minus tax of course.
‘Chunky’ added: “Me and Groves...the history between us with all those belts on the line as well would make it a massive, massive fight.
“You’d be looking at getting at least five mill each. But me I am looking at ten!
“I know it is sick me saying it but ten million pounds is not a lot of money. By the time I am taxed and paid people, I would probably be picking up about £400,000.
“That’s why I have to earn at least another £30million to live the way I want to live.”
DeGale, who underwent career saving surgery on his shoulder back in January, knows he has to make a statement against Truax who can bang a bit and has 18 KO’s on his 33 fight record.
DeGale admitted: “My motivation for this fight is to show people how good I am and that I am boxing at 100 per cent after being out of the ring for too long.
“I’ve got to stop him, I’ve gotta put on a good performance. I can’t just win on points I have to get him out there as quick as I possibly can.”
“I’m not overlooking Truax either because this is his chance of making it big. When is he going to get another chance to fight for the IBF world title?
“I have taken him seriously and I want to go in there and do a job job him.”