Did you know that you could be slapped with a £1,000 fine for not paying your TV licence?
Most people know that you need a telly licence in England, and those who have one will be all too similar with how much it costs - £159 a year for a standard viewing and £53.50 for black and white, to be precise. But it turns out thousands of people are getting caught out by a little-known rule that could land them in trouble with the law.
Legal expect Hatti Suvari posted a video to her TikTok account @ getlegallyspeaking to share some hidden rules that might catch you out.
Hatti, who is the founder and CEO at Red Bar Law LLP, explained how last year 49,000 people were prosecuted for not paying their TV licence - and the way people get caught out is surprising.
In the TikTok video, the host and founder of the Get Legally Speaking podcast said: "Not many of us know that if you don't have a TV licence if you need to, then it's a criminal offence to avoid getting one, so here are key points to remember.
"If you watch TV live or on a streaming service such as ITV Hub, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Sky Go or BBC iPlayer then you need a TV licence.
"If you watch or record TV on channels such as Sky, Virgin or Freeview, then you need a TV licence."
That means that if you watch live TV – even if it's on streaming services – you still need to pay a TV licence. The same applies if you record a live programme that you watch later.
This applies to any device, including a computer, laptop, phone, tablet, games console or digital box.
Hatti went on to explain that you don't need a TV licence to watch Netflix, on demand of other catch up programmes.
However, you do still need one if you're watching BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer.
According to the legal expert, there is "no such thing as TV detector vans," adding that it was "originally a PR stunt to frighten people".
If you aren't paying your TV licence when you need on, you could be fined up to £1,000, in addition to any legal costs and/or compensation. In Guernsey the fine is slightly higher, at £2,000.
Taking to the comments, many users voiced their confusion about having to pay a TV licence for YouTube.
One person commented: "Wait you need a TV licence to watch normal YouTube videos?".
Another added: "I'm sure YouTube is not required for TV licence."
However, a TV licence is only required if you're watching a live TV broadcast through the video sharing app.
