BBC pay out £1m for staff tax bills
The BBC are set to spend up to £1million of licence fee cash to settle accountancy bills for hundreds of workers.
TV and radio show employees on less than £ 45,000 have been caught up in a tax crackdown on all staf f – including star presenters – formerly paid v ia “personal ser v ices companies” through a self-employment loophole.
A new HMRC law means all public bodies, including the BBC, must get workers’ job status correct, placing any liabilities for tax and NI contributions with them.
The IR35 legislation has meant lower paid staff – including some regional programme hosts – have had to cough up extra accountancy fees to comply.
Now the Beeb a re understood to be set to pay up to 1000 employees’ fees at around £1000 each.
A source said: “Staff were incensed the new legislation was going to cost them even more money in ext ra accountancy fees on top of the extra tax they’re now being forced to pay.
“To keep the peace, bosses have accepted it’s a mess and agreed to cover the costs. But it’s the public left footing the bill.”
In an email to staff this month, BBC director of radio and music Bob Shennan wrote: “Thank you for the claims we’ve received for the ex- gratia contribution for additional book-keeping fees.
“We are now processing these, with the aim of paying as many as possible via the August payroll.”