I built my business from nothing – and Rachel Reeves is forcing me to leave Britain

I started from nothing in 2014 having applied for a credit card and investing half my annual salary into a course on how to trade the stock markets.

Seven months later I left my dead-end job in retail, and within three years had earned my first million. Using what I learned, and by diversifying into property development, I have now built a successful training business and a portfolio of properties that I either sell on or rent out.

I have always been aware of not bragging about my success or flaunting my income, but let me be absolutely clear: I am no longer waiting for permission to succeed.

The country I love does not reward the hard-working, the innovative, the business builders.

Today, I'm sitting at home in Norfolk, but my plans to move my life and my business portfolios abroad are being accelerated by one primary threat: Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The upcoming Budget on November 26th is not going to be a simple fiscal exercise; it's going to be a declaration of war on wealth creators.

They say Reeves needs £20 to £30 billion? Trust me, she’s coming for that money, and she's laser-targeting the very people who generate jobs and drive growth in this country.

My patience isn't just thin - it's utterly gone. The straw that broke the camel’s back was waking up to the crippling amount of tax I am paying and not seeing a scrap of it spent to benefit society. I am done with subsidising a system that actively punishes ambition.

If Reeves proceeds with the predicted tax hikes, she will force my hand. I’m pulling the trigger, and I'm out if taxes go up yet again.

Let's not mince words: this government is making it impossible for entrepreneurs to thrive. We've already been savaged.

We watched the employer’s National Insurance rate hiked from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent - a direct attack on the incentive to hire staff. I fully anticipate further punitive rises across NI for everyone this month.

The Treasury knows exactly what would actually help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): raising the £90,000 VAT registration threshold. It would unlock immediate growth, yet I have zero expectation it will happen. Why? Because this government is addicted to squeezing the productive minority.

The foundational economic truth remains: Just taxing people more never leads a country to be wealthy. This isn't a policy of prosperity; it's a blueprint for regression.

My decision to move my business to Greece is not just about the sunshine; it’s about respect for my wealth.

The UK's tax structure is punitive. For someone like me, dividend tax can swallow up to 39.35 per cent of my returns. Greece, by contrast, offers a flat, sensible rate of 5 per cent. That isn't a loophole; it is a clear economic statement. One country values my contribution; the other views my success as a resource to be plundered.

Frankly, the overall atmosphere in the UK is toxic and defeating. I'm moving my business and my life to a place where people there don’t feel quite so beaten down.

There is hope and genuine possibility abroad, and we feel welcome. Meanwhile, back here in the UK, the sentiment has swung drastically.

When I discussed moving years ago, people questioned me. Now, they tell me they envy me and would consider leaving, too.

Recent data show that one in eight SMEs are already planning their exit. This mass departure is not an accident; it is the predictable, disastrous result of a Chancellor who threatens the very backbone of the UK economy.

My warning to those still here in the UK is that if you are considering relocation, don't just look at the raw numbers, consider the social impact on your life.

Choose somewhere you feel you will be welcome and can play a part in your new society. I’m not seeking a tax haven, I’m seeking a new life where success is celebrated and I feel happy to be part of the community. For me – that’s Greece.

This is about your future, and choosing a country that doesn't view you as a walking tax target. You need to decide where you want to move and what it gives you, beyond just tax benefits. Get professional advice, structure your business for mobility, and prepare to leave the punitive UK tax regime behind.

I’m waiting for Rachel Reeves’ Budget speech, but frankly, I’m ready to sign the papers now. Unless she reverses course and starts rewarding enterprise instead of crushing it, the Chancellor will be responsible for chasing a crucial segment of the British economy offshore.

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Lewis Crompton is the CEO at STARTrading

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