There are plenty of people commuting from outside the UK who pay their taxes in the countries in which they reside, and there are plenty of people who are pretty much avoiding paying tax altogether, by not actually being properly resident anywhere. To be honest I wonder why I don’t go and become one of them. The taxation system on some BA pilots is extreme. I will be working for the next two years as a high earning UK tax payer and my net income during that time will be zero! The tax man will receive it all, via a mixture of my income tax, national insurance, and tax on my final salary pension increase due to promotion. That is not a fair taxation system and the fact it drives many to extremes to stop giving the tax man any more than they absolutely have to, is of no surprise to me. Many would call me lucky to have a final salary pension scheme, but it doesn’t matter which way you skin it, working for free for two years is not a fair taxation system, and rebellion against that unfairness is why many people decide enough is enough and actively avoid as much tax as they can.