Comedian Jimmy Carr faces second tax probe over allegations he invested in scheme which denied taxpayers £52milllion
The funnyman was infamously blasted by ex-PM David Cameron for his involvement in tax avoidance scheme
COMIC Jimmy Carr faces a second tax probe over allegations he invested in a scheme which denied the taxpayer £52milllion.
Carr, 44, blasted by ex-PM David Cameron in 2012 over his involvement in another tax avoidance scheme, is facing a demand for repayment by HM Revenue & Customs.
It has emerged he and 674 other investors were given £131million in tax relief to fund two properties designed to house business data centres. The scheme, which had only a £79million investment, was meant to boost economic growth in North Shields.
Five years on, neither centre has been occupied.
The entirely legal tax incentive scheme, put together by private finance firm Harcourt Capital, was scrapped in 2011 after investors received their tax breaks.
Carr and Wayne Rooney were among 675 investors who gave about £117,000 and qualified for tax relief worth £194,000, a £77,000 tax profit.
The £52million overall tax profit will now be recovered by HMRC.
Labour’s Meg Hillier, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, said: “Even if this is legal, it’s ripping off the taxpayer.”
Carr sheltered income using the legal K2 tax avoidance scheme in 2012.
His agent did not respond last night.