‘The appeal is therefore allowed’ – Gary Lineker can celebrate again after tax victory

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It’s not been a bad few weeks for Gary Lineker after news that he had won his appeal against the HMRC followed an issue with the BBC being resolved to his satisfaction.

The former football star has been known as the consummate sports broadcaster for some years now, though his outspoken nature on social media got him in trouble with one of his employers recently.

Lineker had apparently tweeted that the Government had been using inflammatory language when it came to talking about migrant issues, and the BBC felt that this had crossed the line and asked him to step back from presenting duties on Match of the Day.

Radio Times ran part of the BBC’s statement at the time which noted that Lineker’s ‘recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines.’

This subsequently led to pundits and guests on much of the BBC’s football output refusing to work in solidarity to Mr. Lineker.

The Sun reported that the whole saga caused a ‘civil war’ of sorts, though thankfully, in the end, the BBC saw sense and reinstated him.

Now Lineker has another victory to celebrate, after an appeal he brought against the HMRC, who were pursuing him for apparent unpaid tax, was found in his favour.

There were 97 points in Tribunal Justice John Brooks’ Judgment document dated 27th March 2023.

One noted that: ‘The effect of my conclusions is that because there were direct contracts, between the BBC and Mr Lineker and BT Sport and Mr Lineker, the intermediaries legislation (IR35) does not, and cannot as a matter of law, apply,’ whilst point 96 simply ended: ‘This is sufficient to dispose of the entire appeal in the appellants’ favour and the appeal is therefore allowed.’

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