Stars of ITV daytime show Loose Women have threatened to quit in a row over pay, according to national reports. Some presenters and bosses are in talks over their tax situations, sources have claimed.
According to The Mirror, it is claimed three popular names have gone as far as to say they will walk if issues are not fixed. The newspaper says ITV has been affected by changes by HMRC to tax legislation.
It is now up to ITV to decide whether a role is employed or self-employed for tax purposes from April 2021. It is understood some panellists on the daytime show work freelance, declaring themselves self-employed.
But now some have been told to go on a PAYE contract – meaning that instead of corporation tax at 19%, they will have to pay 40% on earnings between £50,271 and £150,000, plus National Insurance.
A source behind the scenes said: “They have all been self-employed for decades. Their accountants are saying no, they are self-employed… and are not going to go on PAYE.”
The mole added: “They’re so strict about it and we’re talking about the big players.” ITV sources say the broadcaster has communicated the change to all those concerned across the channel and that assessments are done on a “case-by-case basis”.
Presenter Eamonn Holmes is currently challenging a tribunal ruling that he should have been treated as an ITV employee for tax reasons when he hosted This Morning.
He said in 2018 that HMRC “wanted 10 years of backdated National Insurance” as they said his former jobs “were staff jobs rather than self-employed”.
And he claimed the row was making him ill. Panellists on hit talk show Loose Women include Kaye Adams, Linda Robson, Judi Love, Denise Welch, Janet Street-Porter and Coleen Nolan.
An ITV spokeswoman said: “ITV complies with HMRC legislation when assessing the tax status of individuals. ITV will not comment on or disclose any individual’s specific circumstances.”
