Lorraine Kelly wins tribunal against HMRC after judge agrees she’s her own boss and not an ITV employee
TELLY host Lorraine Kelly yesterday won a key victory against HMRC, after a judge described her as her own boss and not an ITV employee.
The Sun columnist, 59, rejected the taxman’s claim the company she gets paid through for her work is a front.
The Scottish star signed a deal with ITV in 2012 through her firm Albatel Ltd but HM Revenue and Customs insisted she became a staffer and sent her a huge retrospective bill of £1.2million in 2016.
She had repaid £1.02million, but won a dispute over the outstanding difference - although she was later left with a hefty legal bill despite successfully defending the claim.
Lorraine told tax tribunal judge Jennifer Dean she was “baffled” by HMRC’s attitude and denied the money should have been deducted from her income.
She has been freelance since 1992 and had since also worked for the BBC, Channel 4, Scottish TV, and Sky.
Lorraine pointed out she received none of the perks available to ITV employees and gets no pension pot.
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Judge Dean described her as an “honest, intelligent” super-talented freelancer.
She concluded: “The relationship between Ms Kelly and ITV was a contract for services and not that of employer and employee.”
The judge also ruled Lorraine was entitled to deduct from her tax bill fees she paid her agent.
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