Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BBC BIG EARNER
Graham Norton isn’t short of a bob or two...raking in more than £1.3million last year thanks to his wildly popular chat show. But when his basic BBC salary was cut by £250,000 to a more modest £600,000 after the gender pay gap row, he could easily have yearned to cut his tax bill.
One of those investment schemes that give stars a hefty break, perhaps?
Not a chance it seems. “I just don’t get the not-paying tax thing,” he says, dispatching the idea as swiftly as one of the victims of his red ejector chair. “It’s just stupid and very short sighted.
“You see people who are worth a billion and they’re still doing tax dodges and you think how can you be bothered?
“These people who go to incredible lengths to dodge tax would be just as rich if they paid the tax – and would be living in a much nicer country.
“One where people were looked after, were crime was less, where housing was better and people were better educated.
“So the money you’ve saved on tax you’re probably having to use to pay for barbed wire around your property. It seems totally wrong-headed.”
Graham, still on £600,000 plus, goes on: “I don’t spend wildly. And life with money is much better than life without money, for sure.
“But being able to afford your tax is such a privileged position.
“I don’t like getting my tax bill – it still takes my breath away. But I know I can still pay my bills after I’d paid tax at the other end.
“The people who can’t afford to pay their bills have no possibility of dodging it.
“So, I do say ‘To all those huge
Philip Greens – pay tax. You’ll be living in a much nicer country’.”
The star, 55, has been approached by financial advisors touting taxavoidance schemes like those that caught out comic Jimmy Carr and pop star Gary Barlow.
“I’ve been offered those things,” he says. “Your bank tells you about this film you can invest in and you think ‘Oh it would be great to invest in a film and also get a tax break at the same time’.
“But then you listen for five minutes and you realise these are the film’s producers telling you the film mustn’t make money or even be released. You’re like ‘This isn’t a good thing’ so you don’t do it. Because it’s an obvious dodge.
“I’d love to help British film but this wasn’t going to help anybody.”
Graham is certainly helping British TV prosper, though, as he prepares for the new series of his hugely successful chat show which starts again tonight.
Because his relaxed, cheeky style – and the booze with which he plies his guests – attracts the shiniest A-listers to his sofa.
Like tonight’s headliner, actor Ryan Gosling. “I’m glad Ryan is on the first episode of the new season,” beams Graham.
“Now there is a man who could be Irish. He can really tell a story.” Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Jodie Whittaker and Rod Stewart complete the line-up. Graham adds: “Big stars like Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep keep coming back because they realise it’ll be fine and they might actually have fun. “It took us a long time but the stars’ publicists now trust us and tell their clients to come on the show because we’ll just want them to tell some funny stories.”
But Graham does still have a wish