TheMarketingblog

Which BBC presenter may have to pay £420,000?

Former BBC Look North presenter Christa Ackroyd is facing a tax bill of up to £420,000 after losing a legal battle with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Ms Ackroyd and HMRC were in dispute over the nature of her BBC contract and whether she had paid too little tax.

She was one of a number of people employed by the BBC via personal service companies.

Ruling against her, a tax tribunal said HMRC had “never suggested” she was a tax cheat or had acted dishonestly.

Ms Ackroyd said the ruling had brought an end to “five horrendous years of innuendo and gossip” surrounding her financial affairs.

A BBC spokesman said the use of personal service companies was “entirely legitimate and common practice across the industry”.