£32k tax quiz over Jac biz
Star’s firm goes into liquidation owing HMRC
JACQUELINE Jossa’s business is being investigated after she wound down the company with it owing £32,000 in tax.
The actress, 27, put her firm Pooker Bash Limited into voluntary liquidation last year, owing the money in VAT and corporation tax to HMRC.
She won I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! last year, and was reportedly paid £75,000 for taking part.
Her company was set up to handle cash from her role as Lauren Branning in BBC soap EastEnders. She played the part between 2010 and 2018.
Official documents were lodged this week with Companies House.
The liquidator said: “Examinations have identified a number of payments from the company that require further investigation and explanation from the director, and enquiries are ongoing.”
Paperwork also revealed it was possible the debts would not be paid.
A document said: “It is unlikely that there will be a dividend payable to creditors.”
Jacqueline’s agent said last night the star is fully co-operating with the liquidator’s queries and that the investigation was purely routine and did not relate to tax bills.
Since winning ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity – when she beat Corrie star Andy Whyment into second place and radio host Roman Kemp into third – Jacqueline has been hugely in demand.
She recently launched a new tanning range with — BPerfect Cosmetics, as well as signing a deal with dairy brand Arla and starting a clothing line for website In The Style. She is also launching a swimwear range as she told fans: “Shout out to all us women working on loving their bodies because that s*** is hard and I’m proud of us.”
The mum-of-two previously urged her fans to be “comfortable in their skin”.
She said: “I’m a size 12 and I don’t claim to be something different. I am not ashamed of how I look.
“Would I like to be slimmer? Probably. Can I not eat pancakes for breakfast? No. Swings and roundabouts.”
Her EastEnders’ character featured alongside other members of the Branning family such as Dot, played by June Brown, Max ( Jake Wood) Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) and Jack (Scott Maslen).
Jacqueline married reality TV star Dan Osborne, 29, in 2017. Their eldest child Ella was born in 2015 and the youngest Mia arrived in 2018.
SOAP From left, Dot, Abi, Lauren and Jack in EastEnders in 2013