This really isn’t cricket, Gower tells the taxman
AS a cricket legend and TV star, he is known for his laidback style.
But David Gower has let rip at the taxman in a furious outburst after losing a legal battle over an investment scheme into which he put tens of thousands of pounds.
Gower, 60, said that HMRC had ‘completely f***ed up’ following a ruling by judges that he and other celebrities, who together put £1.6billion into a film-funding scheme, did not qualify for tax relief against their investment – and must pay some of it back.
David Beckham, Gary Lineker, and Ant and Dec are among other stars who, more than a decade ago, put cash into the scheme devised by investment company Ingenious.
A court confirmed last week that HMRC was right to deny the stars tax breaks on the investments, landing them with massive tax bills. Gower said: ‘People were accusing the innocent investors of trying to evade responsibilities. That is completely untrue.’
Louise Brittain, a bankruptcy specialist at Wilkins Kennedy, said she had taken dozens of calls from worried investors.
She said: ‘A lot are quite well known and wealthy but the tax debt is so massive they wouldn’t be able to pay it.’