BBC and Channel 5 television presenter Jeremy Vine faces court battle with HMRC over 'outstanding tax bill'

The HMRC is chasing the 59-year-old radio and TV host for income tax and National Insurance contributions on money he earned from the BBC between 2013 and 2015, according to the MailOnline.

It’s alleged that in this two year period the presenter, who hosts his own BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme among other things, was paid through his own personal service company Jelly Vine Productions for work on Radio 2, election coverage, Eggheads and Points of View.

This type of set up is legal, but in recent years the taxman been going after stars who have been paid this way. This is because the HMRC believes that these performers were, in effect, employees and so payments should have been made for income tax and National Insurance.

Court documents do not reveal how much the HMRC say Vine, who also presents the Jeremy Vine Show on Channel 5 every weekday morning owes it. They do, however, reveal the amounts were branded 'estimated and excessive'. The documents also show, however, that Vine appears to have been involved in a battle that has gone on for almost seeven years with the taxman about the issue.

Details of the case emerged in a judgement which threw out Vine's application for a 'preliminary issues hearing' ahead of the case being heard in full. The HMRC believes that Vine had 'performed services for the BBC' using his personal service company and should 'be treated for the purposes of income tax and national insurance contributions…as an employee.' Having come to this conclusion it had sent him demands for tax years 2013-14 to 2015-16 to collect income tax and 'NICs'.

The court document said the contract between Jelly Vine Productions and the BBC 'concerned the period 1 July 2013 to 30 December 2015 in respect of four productions: the Jeremy Vine Show a weekday programme on radio 2, election coverage, Eggheads (quiz show) and Points of View. All apart from Eggheads are produced by BBC Studios with Eggheads produced by 12 Yard Studios.

Vine has been appealing against the HMRC decisions. He has appealed against the conclusion that he should be taxed as an employee and in an application for a 'preliminary issues hearing' claimed the decisions are 'premature' and 'invalid'. The document did not give the specific amount allegedly owed, but said there was 'the order of £20k' National Insurance Contributions at stake for 2015/16 alone.

The BBC only started publishing its star's salaries in 2017, which came after the period in which the HMRC are pursuing Vine for. In the first ever set of figures in 2016-17, however, the BBC stated Vine was paid up to £749,999 - but the next year the figure was £449,999.

Jeremy Vine's representative declined to comment on the issue when asked by the MailOnline. An HMRC spokesperson told the publication: “We appreciate there's a real person behind every case and are committed to treating all taxpayers with respect. We seek to resolve cases as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, in accordance with the law.”

Vine is not the only presenter who has found themselves in trouble with the taxman. Last year, fellow BBC colleague Gary Lineker won his case over a £4.9 million tax bill being demanded by the taxman.

Over at ITV, Eamonn Holmes previously said he was forced to sell his house in Belfast to pay off a £250,000 bill over his tax battle, and Lorraine Kelly won her case over a £1.2 million tax bill as she claimed she performed the role of a 'friendly, chatty and fun personality' on her self-titled ITV show and had not 'simply appeared as herself'.