MPs' shock at BBC tax deals - Workers paid via personal service companies

[SantaClaus]

The Daily Moan are in hysterics again...

MPs' shock at BBC tax deals: Commons watchdog says 25,000 contracts raise 'suspicion of complicity in tax avoidance' | Mail Online

[mudskipper]

"The Newsnight presenter insisted the BBC had ‘required me to form a company if I wanted to continue to present Newsnight. It claimed it had been told to do so by the HMRC’"

It would be funny if that is proven to be true.

[SantaClaus]

"The Newsnight presenter insisted the BBC had ‘required me to form a company if I wanted to continue to present Newsnight. It claimed it had been told to do so by the HMRC’"

It would be funny if that is proven to be true.

I doubt it is true, but if they have evidence then HMRC would be in the sh!t.

[Mich the Tester]

Tax avoidance is not a crime, so there's nothing illegal about being 'complicit in tax avoidance'. Tax evasion is a different thing and a different matter.

[Mich the Tester]

Workers paid via personal service companies include 4,500 presenters and backroom staff with 400 paid at least £50,000 a year

Erm, is 50,000 pounds a lot for skilled people working in London? I don't think so.

[The Spartan]

Erm, is 50,000 pounds a lot for skilled people working in London? I don't think so.

Nope that's peanuts if you're working and living there, I've seen permie jobs offering more than that

[Mich the Tester]

Nope that's peanuts if you're working and living there, I've seen permie jobs offering more than that

Then the Daily Wail are really outdoing themselves on this one. They spend years moaning about 'the lefties' and paying too much tax, then the righties get into power and the Daily Wail start whining about highly skilled people in London earning a bit more than some other people, and indeed complaining that clever people get good tax advice so they don't have to pay too much.

[cojak]

IR35 was finally mentioned!

[doodab]

They should rename IR8. That seems to be it's main effect.

[tractor]

...

I doubt it is true, but if they have evidence then HMRC would be in the sh!t.

Not really, this was the advice given by Business Link for many, many years and certainly for several years after the introduction of IR35. IIRC the advice even went on to tell you how to make the most of your spouse's allowance (when they were transferable).

The advice is long gone from their website now of course, but I wonder how many of us stored it for evidence should we become subject of an IR35 investigation. I know I did.