[UK] Three popular daytime TV stars could quit over HMRC pay row

[UK] Three popular daytime TV stars could quit over HMRC pay row
07 Feb 2023

Three of the star presenters on ITV's daytime flagship show Loose Women are poised to quit their jobs following rows over pay, The ECHO reports.

The presenters have been going head-to-head with ITV bosses for weeks over their tax situations. The new to and fro comes in the wake of the broadcaster being hit by changes by HMRC to tax legislation.

ITV will now have to decide if a role is employed or self-employed for tax purposes from April 2021. Some Loose Women panellists reportedly work freelance, declaring themselves self-employed and three are threatening to quit if the situation is not dealt with, according to Mirror reporting.

Some of those concerned have been advised to go on a PAYE contract. By doing so rather than paying corporation tax at 19 per cent, they would have to pay 40 per cent on earnings between £50,271 and £150,000, plus National Insurance.

A source told the Mirror, "They have all been self-employed for decades. Their accountants are saying no, they are self-employed… and are not going to go on PAYE. They’re so strict about it and we’re talking about the big players."

An ITV spokesperson told The ECHO, "ITV complies with HMRC legislation when assessing the tax status of individuals. ITV will not comment on or disclose any individual's specific circumstances."

Presenter Eamonn Holmes is reportedly in the process of challenging a tribunal ruling that he should have been treated as an ITV employee for tax reasons when he hosted the popular daytime show This Morning.

In 2018 Mr Holmes said that HMRC “wanted 10 years of backdated National Insurance” as they said his former jobs “were staff jobs rather than self-employed."

He added, "In 2018, they [HMRC] came knocking at my door, claiming my former jobs at Sky News, GMTV, Channel 5 and This Morning were staff jobs rather than self-employed. They wanted 10 years of backdated National Insurance.

"To go back a decade to try and get the money that you’ve already spent? I don’t care how much you earn, you spend it. It was gone."


Source: The ECHO

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

Three of the star presenters on ITV's daytime flagship show Loose Women are poised to quit their jobs following rows over pay, The ECHO reports.

The presenters have been going head-to-head with ITV bosses for weeks over their tax situations. The new to and fro comes in the wake of the broadcaster being hit by changes by HMRC to tax legislation.

ITV will now have to decide if a role is employed or self-employed for tax purposes from April 2021. Some Loose Women panellists reportedly work freelance, declaring themselves self-employed and three are threatening to quit if the situation is not dealt with, according to Mirror reporting.

Some of those concerned have been advised to go on a PAYE contract. By doing so rather than paying corporation tax at 19 per cent, they would have to pay 40 per cent on earnings between £50,271 and £150,000, plus National Insurance.

A source told the Mirror, "They have all been self-employed for decades. Their accountants are saying no, they are self-employed… and are not going to go on PAYE. They’re so strict about it and we’re talking about the big players."

An ITV spokesperson told The ECHO, "ITV complies with HMRC legislation when assessing the tax status of individuals. ITV will not comment on or disclose any individual's specific circumstances."

Presenter Eamonn Holmes is reportedly in the process of challenging a tribunal ruling that he should have been treated as an ITV employee for tax reasons when he hosted the popular daytime show This Morning.

In 2018 Mr Holmes said that HMRC “wanted 10 years of backdated National Insurance” as they said his former jobs “were staff jobs rather than self-employed."

He added, "In 2018, they [HMRC] came knocking at my door, claiming my former jobs at Sky News, GMTV, Channel 5 and This Morning were staff jobs rather than self-employed. They wanted 10 years of backdated National Insurance.

"To go back a decade to try and get the money that you’ve already spent? I don’t care how much you earn, you spend it. It was gone."


Source: The ECHO

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

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