HMRC is using the reflected shine from the stars of the BBC to highlight its enthusiasm for tackling tax evasion.
It seems that more than 100 BBC presenters are under investigation for alleged tax avoidance after being suspected of wrongly using personal service companies to minimise their tax bills.
The BBC announced in July that it had moved 85 presenters onto its books as full-time employees, after a report published in 2012 found that the corporation paid more than 124 stars in excess of £150,000 a year via personal service companies.
The new revelations are included within a tax tribunal judgement involving BBC newsreaders Tim Willcox and Joanna Gosling.
As per the Telegraph the BBC, which failed in an application to give evidence in the case, said in its submission:
As per the Telegraph the BBC, which failed in an application to give evidence in the case, said in its submission:
“HMRC have indicated to the BBC that there are around 100 additional cases under consideration involving current or former BBC presenters.
The BBC also understands that HMRC has initiated or indicated their intention to initiate IR35 proceedings in relation to presenters who are engaged by other broadcasting organisations.
The appeals are therefore extremely important not only to the individuals in question but also to the BBC and to the broadcasting industry as a whole. The appeals are likely to be the first cases to test the freelance model in the broadcasting industry against the IR35 legislation.”
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Maybe the BBC as a great public service broadcaster should investigate what goes on at HMRC - lets scrutinise how HMRC behave, the alleged special deals with footballers, the HMRC away days at famous football clubs (paid for by the British public), the poor service to taxpayers, the culture of bullying and cover-ups within HMRC...
ReplyDeleteHow is HMRC allowed to publically state that up to 100 BBC presenters are investigation, what happened to taxpayer confidentiality? Never again they be allowed to use the 'taxpayer confidentiality' excuse to not answer the PAC's reasonable questions. It never fails to shock me how the sanctimonious bunch 'running' HMRC think they can play it both ways. The Civil Service Code requires them to be honest, lets start seeing it enforced.
ReplyDeleteHang on a minute, HMRC going after BBC presenters in a high profile PR stunt. Did I not read in papers that some civil servants had set up limited companies for payment of their taxpayer funded wages? Lets hear a little more about that.
ReplyDeleteNow Hmrc seem to be going all holier than thou again. Is this the same HMRC who are led by man Edward Troup who once compared tax to extortion. If he doesn't believe in tax he should not be in such a well paid role paid for out of my taxes. Hypocrites.
HMRC had more than a few of its own managers coming back to the fold after 'retirement' or whatever.
DeleteNeeds a very close examination as there is also the question of pension clawback to consider.
Believe the 'avoidance' was to register as an LLP or similar and invoice HMRC for work undertaken, expenses etc. possibly linked with some method of dual passport/residency non.dom. status as well. Should be eay enough for a decent FI/Accountant to uncover.
Then look at the e.mails!
It will be a veritable Pandora's Box.
Above the law?
Did HMRC not directly employ someone in this way some time ago? Was it an IT post? If I remember correctly the chap also received some sort of payoff to help him find new employment. It all seemed rather strange. And they have certainly reemployed staff after "retirement" as companies. One under very suspicious circumstances which might be considered criminal outside of that corrupt hierarchy that were a rule unto themselves.
ReplyDeleteDeepak Singh. Look it up. It looks awful, they seem to have behaved without any regard to their own rules. How do they get away with these things?
DeleteThey 'get away with these things' because they cover it all up right through their so-called management. There is no rule of law and no respect for the truth.
DeleteWho scrutinizes the tax affairs of HMRC senior management? Surely this is not done in house? I would imagine a firm of chartered accountants are appointed by the treasury to oversee this, and if not why not?
DeleteHMRC employed (sorry had in their employment) several senior managers (Steve Lamey) etc who were paid through a MSC. They only left HMRC when the crackdown on MSCs became political.
DeleteWhich is why the senior management team are currently made up of career civil servants.
If HMRC were allegedly paying staff through companies, is that not tantamount to our tax collectors facilitating tax avoidance? If HMRC want to be treated seriously by us taxpayers, given the amount of stories I read, they really need to clean up their act. An independent inquiry would hold them to account and give the public some assurance as to their integrity.
DeleteIt'd be good if it were "BBC goes after HMRC" - its overdue for the media looked at what goes on at HMRC in depth. In just the last few weeks one hears of HMRC events held at Chelsea & Arsenal; the Concentrix debacle; the Estate/Maepley/alleged future strategy debacle; widespread retreat from taxpaying communities across the UK and resultant redundancies of experienced staff; alleged special deals for famous football players; bullying of staff etc and we could go on. Something is wrong, very wrong and its in the public interest to distil the facts on all of this.
ReplyDelete