IR35 'witch hunt' | Champions League presenter Gary Lineker chased over £5m tax bill

Champions League presenter Gary Lineker is being pursued by HMRC in what has been dubbed a “witch hunt” over a tax bill of £4.9million.

According to the Daily Mail, the former England star has been channelling his earnings as a freelancer presenting various shows at BT Sport and BBC such as Match Of The Day through a company partnership he created in 2012.

While this type of business is legal, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been knuckling down on TV and radio stars who have used this approach to manage their tax affairs.

Dave Chaplin, CEO of ContractorCalculator, shared that HMRC has continued “to carry out a witch hunt on high profile media stars” such as Lineker. However, he pointed out that HMRC has failed to “grasp the simple concept that there is a freelance premium, and because of this, freelancers end up generating more in tax by operating this way compared to employment”.