Businesses leaving the UK is a story many people brush aside until the bill lands on them. When Chris Rokos, described in the video as the third biggest taxpayer, decided to move to Greece, the figure attached to his exit was £330 million. That is a lot of money leaving the country, and it raises a simple point about who covers the gap.
This post breaks down what one high profile exit means for ordinary earners, why the Budget is affected, and why the wider pattern of businesses leaving the UK matters to everyone, including people who never run a company.
Why one exit matters to the debate on businesses leaving the UK
Chris Rokos is leaving the UK and, as Zee puts it, taking £330 million with him. In Greece, he would only pay around £86,000 in tax, and describes that gap as one big driver behind the move.
The real reason entrepreneurs are leaving
Tax savings are only part of the picture. Zee points out that Chris Rokos had been paying UK tax for years and had got used to it, so the lower Greek bill does not explain everything.
The bigger reason, is that the whole environment is changing and it feels like an attack on entrepreneurs. That shift pushes many high earners and business owners to look elsewhere, and it sits at the heart of why so many businesses are leaving the UK.
What £330 million means for the average earner
To show why this matters, let’s start with average earnings. These are the numbers the Zee quotes in his video:
| Measure | Figure quoted |
|---|---|
| Average UK earnings | £35,820 |
| Income tax and National Insurance paid by an average earner | £6,510 |
| Tax lost from one exit | £330 million |
| Average earners needed to replace it | 50,691 |
Put simply, it takes 50,691 average earners paying tax to make up for one person who has left. Note that the UK has not created another 50,000 workers, so the money has to come from somewhere else. That figure also leaves out everything else a high earner contributes beyond tax.
The vicious tax cycle behind businesses leaving the UK
Next let’s talk about the loop that gets worse each time someone leaves:
- High earners leave and take their tax with them.
- When the Budget is redone, taxes have to rise to make up the difference.
- Higher taxes push more people to leave.
- The cycle repeats until no one is left.
“Increased taxation does not work.”
Zee Razaq
The video says this pattern first started in the 1970s. What has changed since then is the level of competition between countries for wealthy individuals and business owners.
More than tax: the wider contribution
High net worth individuals contribute in ways that go beyond their tax bills. Zee mentions contributions made to institutions, and recalls a significant planned donation to a university, though he is unsure of the amount and whether it will now go ahead, so treat that point as unconfirmed.
The wider point is that when wealthy individuals and business owners leave, the UK loses more than a tax payment.
A growing trend: millionaires leaving the UK
The video points to the latest (as of recording) Henley report saying 16,500 millionaires left the UK in 2025. Before that, the figure was roughly 9,000.
Zee’s explanation is simple: people are fed up. They cannot see where the money is going and they ask why they have to pay more. There is a limit to how much more they will pay, and that frustration sits behind the wider story of businesses leaving the UK.
Does taxing more actually work?
The answer is no. High taxes lead to low output, and in the long run that drags the economy down.
I ask you to imagine the choice between paying around £86,000 a year in Greece and paying the UK bill, and think, what would you choose?
For the person leaving, the decision is easy. For everyone left behind, it is a costly one.
Key takeaways
- Businesses leaving UK take their tax with them, and the cost lands on those who stay.
- One exit is quoted as costing £330 million, equal to the tax paid by 50,691 average earners.
- Tax rises in the Budget can push more people out, creating a vicious cycle.
- A Henley report cited in the video puts the number of millionaires who left in 2025 at 16,500.
- Our view is that high taxes mean low output and a weaker economy.
Frequently asked questions
Why are businesses leaving the UK?
The whole environment is changing and it feels like an attack on entrepreneurs. Lower tax abroad, such as the roughly £86,000 quoted for Greece, is one driver.
How many average earners does it take to replace £330 million in tax?
The video puts it at 50,691, based on an average earner paying £6,510 in income tax and National Insurance.
What is the vicious tax cycle?
It is the loop where people leave, taxes rise to make up the shortfall, and the higher taxes push more people to leave.
What businesses leaving the UK means for everyone
The Chris Rokos story shows how one exit can leave a gap that tens of thousands of average earners would need to fill. When businesses leaving the UK become a pattern rather than a headline, the Budget has to find that money elsewhere, and the cycle continues.
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About the speaker: Zee Razaq is a chartered accountant and tax advisor, property investor and multiple business entrepreneur.
