Celebs exposed in £1.2bn tax avoidance scheme

clock

Celebrities including Weakest Link presenter Anne Robinson and members of Take That have been exposed as participants in a £1.2bn tax avoidance scheme, according to reports.

The Liberty tax strategy enabled investors to escape income tax by paying 7p in the pound in fees and was based out of jersey. According to a report in the Times, Robinson paid £280,000 to use the Jersey-based scheme to avoid tax on about £4m. Meanwhile, Take That members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen are understood by the paper to have sought to avoid tax on £6.5m through the scheme. It was based on the buying and selling of dividends offshore, generating more than £1bn in artificial losses, which members could offset against their own tax bills. It came to the atten...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Economics / Markets

FCA's Rathi addresses Autumn Budget market abuse concerns

FCA's Rathi addresses Autumn Budget market abuse concerns

Pens open letter to Treasury Committee

Isabel Baxter
clock 04 December 2025 • 2 min read
OBR 'deeply regrets' early release of Budget document

OBR 'deeply regrets' early release of Budget document

Mistaken release of Budget documents forced Richard Hughes' resignation

Linus Uhlig
clock 02 December 2025 • 3 min read
Starmer defends government's Autumn Budget amid controversy

Starmer defends government's Autumn Budget amid controversy

Claims Reeves ‘misled’ the cabinet about the ‘reality’ of OBR forecasts

Isabel Baxter
clock 01 December 2025 • 3 min read