Rupert Grint faces £2 million tax blow over HMRC court loss
Rupert Grint, the star of "Harry Potter," has once again found himself in serious trouble. He has lost a court case and must pay nearly 2 million pounds to the British tax authorities. Certain irregularities were discovered in the 36-year-old actor's tax returns.
Fans of "Harry Potter" need no introduction to this actor. Rupert Grint played the role of Ron Weasley for years, endearing himself to fans and amassing a fortune of about 24 million pounds for appearing in eight films. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old actor is now facing financial difficulties – he must return 1.8 million pounds to the UK budget.
The investigation by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HM Revenue and Customs) began in 2019 but related to tax returns for the years 2011/2012. According to Entertainment Weekly, the actor improperly classified his income from the sale of items such as "Harry Potter" DVDs and broadcasts of the film series about the popular wizard's adventures.
An enormous amount is at stake – 4.5 million pounds, which was classified as capital gains rather than income. Consequently, the actor paid only 10% instead of the standard rate of 52%.
Rupert Grint must return nearly 2 million pounds
Five years ago, in connection with this case, Grint was obliged to pay 1.8 million pounds. The actor's representatives filed an appeal at that time, but the London court ultimately ruled in favour of HMRC, which means that the silver-screen Ron Weasley will have to pay the overdue taxes. The decision was made at the end of November.
This is not the first time the "Harry Potter" star has had a dispute with the tax authorities. "The Guardian" reminds us that Grint lost another court case in 2016, which also involved tax repayment. That case concerned an amount of 1 million pounds.
