The BBC has told thousands of workers to go ‘off the books’ to cut its tax bill.
Whistle-blowers claim stars are routinely ordered to set up personal service companies, or face the sack.
The arrangements – condemned as deplorable and unacceptable by MPs – reduce the tax and national insurance liabilities of the BBC and its big names.
Ministers have banned personal service companies in the public sector in all but exceptional circumstances and are now under pressure to do the same with the public broadcaster
Those using the companies can pay the lower corporation tax rate of 21 per cent instead of the 40 per cent income tax paid by high earners.
Avoiding national insurance saves the BBC millions of pounds. Last week it emerged that 148 of its presenters are ‘off the books’, along with 3,000 other workers.
Jeremy Paxman and Fiona Bruce are thought to be involved. Insiders say the deals benefit only the best-paid stars – most of those involved gain nothing.
Zarin Patel, the BBC’s finance chief, has said service companies are standard ‘custom and practice’ in the broadcasting industry. She said no one had been forced to use one.
thats about right for bbc and this a corperation payed for by the people who do they think they are beyound the rest of us who pay our taxes .whislt they telll their guest and stars to be payed off shore beggers beleif and some heads need to roll for it jeff3
The BBC has just aired a story about paying for services in cash being morally wrong because it avoids Tax, This story was also posted on BBC news facebook page, a clear case of the pot and the kettle, which was pointed out to them in comments. BBC has removed its facebook story, also The Daily Wail has removed the story linked above that this post refers to. SO ,. Next time the BBC and the Daily Wail put their feet in their complacent gobs I suggest we copy the text of their posts, for posterity ofcourse.
Hence why i said not just Jimmy Carr was at it….. The bbc are truly scum are they not, i mean we used to only ever habve to pay for a licence for bbc, coz all other channels advertised…… Despite my spotting heinz and such in soaps………
Now we have to pay for a licence for adverts too….. Fucking joke!