bbc ir35

BBC fed presenters to IR35 lion

Broadcaster led presenters to their doom 

A recent report by the National Audit Office (NAO), ‘Investigation into the BBC’s engagement with personal service companies’, reveals that the BBC happily allowed its presenters to carry on using their own limited companies in the knowledge that they were most likely to fall foul of IR35.

Following concerns raised by Parliament and individuals employed by the BBC, the NAO launched its investigation into the corporation’s policy of hiring freelancers, particularly those hired through PSCs.

Freelancing in the world of media

Hiring freelancers is common practice in the media industry as it provides broadcasters the flexibility to make changes quickly according to the needs of programming and audience.

In 2017-18, the BBC engaged around 60,000 freelancers which included actors, entertainers and off-air workers, such as camera operators. Of these 60,000, 5,145 PSCs (roughly 50% on-air roles and 50% off-air roles) had contracts worth an aggregate total of £84 million.

News presenters

In 2004, HMRC reviewed the employment status of 100 of the Beeb’s news presenters and deemed them to be employed for tax purposes. No surprise really though, given that the BBC had imposed increased editorial control over the presenters. Such control was sufficiently significant to hand an ‘employed’ status on a plate to the Revenue. Whilst the PSCs engaged by the corporation weren’t affected by this opinion, HMRC did warn the BBC that they might be back to carry out IR35 investigations.

Wanting to minimise the impact of the risk of misclassifying employment status, at the point a freelance news presenters’ contract was up for renewal, the BBC offered them a choice of either moving onto an employment contract or to continue freelancing via a PSC. According to the Beeb, the majority elected to carry on as freelancers and consequently formed their own limited companies. At this point the BBC were complicit in signing the IR35 death warrants of these contractors as they knew, or certainly should have known, that these freelancers would fail the two major tests of status, i.e. control and personal service, but still allowed these people to sleepwalk into the jaws of IR35. This, of course, suited the BBC as they were able to divest themselves of the tax risk.

TV and radio presenters

Historically, the BBC have engaged TV and radio presenters on a self-employed basis, either as sole traders or through PSCs.

In 2008, HMRC published guidelines for the radio industry but the BBC were concerned about its lack of clarity leading them to adopt a policy of hiring freelance radio presenters via PSCs where the contract lasted longer than 6 months and/or was worth £10,000 p.a., unless they produced a written determination from HMRC confirming their self-employed status. Unlike news presenters, they were not given the option of an employment contract.  This same policy was rolled out to TV presenters and was applied to all new and renewable contracts.

BBC policy 2012 – 2017

Following the furore caused by Ed Lester, in 2012 the Public Accounts Committee took evidence from the BBC over its use of PSC’s and produced a report that:

  • queried the large number of freelance contracts at the BBC, i.e. approx. 25,000 in 2011-12, of which 13,000 were on-air and 12,000 off-air roles; and
  • noted that 148 out of 467 of the Beeb’s presenters were operating through PSCs on long-term contracts despite them sharing the same traits of a typical PAYE contract;

The BBC commissioned accountancy giant, Deloitte, to review its freelancer engagement model which produced a number of recommendations, notably that:

  • a new policy be developed to produce greater consistency when hiring on-air freelancers; Deloitte had come across examples of people doing similar work, yet hired in different ways either as staff, sole trader or via a PSC; and
  • a new test be developed for assessing the status of on-air freelancers in TV and news, so that the appropriate contract could be formulated.

After a period of liaison with HMRC, the BBC implemented its new status test in November 2013, reassured by the Revenue that, as long as the BBC used it as intended and with the correct facts, then the status results thrown up for a TV presenter would pose a low tax risk. During the period 2013-14 to 2016-17, the new test confirmed that more than 90% of on-air roles were self-employed and, as a result, there was no significant reduction in the number of PSCs being engaged. The exception to this was all of the Beeb’s news presenters, who had been moved onto on-air talent (OAT) employment contracts since 2004.

Freelancers hung out to dry

There have been a number of BBC presenters who have recently spoken out about the corporation’s lack of care towards them. They allege that the BBC forced them down the PSC route to be able to continue working as self-employed for the organisation, even when they said they didn’t want the hassle of running their own company. They claim that there was little explanation of the BBC’s change in preference, and that most of the communication on the matter was verbal, leaving them confused and unhappy.

In an e-mail to freelancers in June of this year, the BBC admitted that they had not given them as much choice as they would have liked. However, the feeble excuse it used for railroading presenters down the PSC route was that it was not best placed to assess their status because they would have more knowledge of their own circumstances and the multiplicity of engagements and could judge their status more exactly.

Off-payroll rules

The public sector changes in April 2017 only affected the BBC and Channel 4 in the media sector. However, the changes had a greater impact on the Beeb as it makes much of its own content and hires many more contractors. In contrast, Channel 4 commissions its content from independent, private sector companies and therefore hires fewer freelancers, who tend to be in back-office functions, such as training and marketing.

In 2017-18, the BBC engaged 60,000 freelancers, of whom 45,000 were on-air freelancers and 2,600 of these operating via a PSC. According to the BBC, 42,000 of these roles are clearly self-employed as they either have ‘show and go’ roles, e.g. a one-hour interview on a TV or radio programme, or they are actors or entertainers whose status is accepted by HMRC. Of the remaining 3,000, approximately 2,000 individuals are non-resident in the UK or are covered by the TV, film and production guidance notes. This left 1,000 on-air roles that required determinations using HMRC’s online ‘Check Employment Status for Tax’ tool, CEST. This figure reduced to 663 following additional guidance from the Revenue regarding the services of sports commentators and pundits, some entertainers, short-term factual specialists, talent show judges and panel show guests, who were found to be self-employed. The vast majority, 92%, of the remainder 663 were deemed ‘employed’ by CEST.

By May 2018, the BBC estimated that of some 800 presenters, 300 of whom were working through PSCs, a further review of their status was needed as they were at risk of being challenged by HMRC.

As a result of the imposition of the ‘off-payroll’ rules the BBC estimate that it spent £1.5 million in readiness for implementing the rules from April 2017.

In March 2017, the Beeb asked HMRC for a six-month grace period during which time it would not have to deduct PAYE tax and NICs, but this was quite correctly denied. So, the BBC made payments on account during the period April – September 2017, totalling £8.3 million so as to avoid interest and late payment penalties, whilst they were still trying to determine the status of some sole traders and contractors. Once the corporation had satisfied itself it had made the correct determinations, it began recouping the tax and NICs from the workers. The original aim was to reclaim the £8.3 million by March 2018 but following complaints from all affected workers, the BBC relented and extended the time period. Some presenters even contested the BBC’s legal right to make such recoupments, but the corporation disputed these challenges.

In cases where an individual’s status changed from employed or indeterminate to self-employed, the BBC repaid any tax and NIC it had incorrectly deducted.

Impact of IR35

In May 2015, the BBC understood that 23 current and former BBC presenters were under enquiry but by the autumn of that year this figure had risen to 100. There still remains the same number of open investigations, all relating to periods pre-April 2017, and the majority having been opened before April 2017 too.

In June 2018, the Beeb announced an ex-gratia payment of up to £500 to anyone earning less than £45,000 p.a. as a contribution towards additional book-keeping fees arising as a result of the IR35 compliance reforms. By August, it had paid out almost £12,000 on 33 claims.

Bad reputation

Needless to say, the BBC’s contemptible behaviour has left a very sour taste in many freelancers mouths.

In March of this year, the BBC announced its intention to set up an independent resolution process under the supervision of the ‘Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution’. The aim being to determine the right approach in pre-April 2017 cases where PSCs believe the BBC should bear some of the IR35 cost because the corporation had misled them or not informed them properly. Whilst this process has still not been finalised, there is talk on the grapevine that the BBC may stump up the cash in the 100 outstanding IR35 cases.

5 Comments

  • gogo says:

    The blame still lies fairly on HMRC. At no stage should you blame the individual for using a PSC or LTD company.

    If BBC (or any other company), do not offer an employment contract with PAY, Redundancy, Sickness, Holiday, Training; then the individual
    needs to provide these things for themselves.

    • GenuineFreelancer says:

      The BBC’s behaviour is a very good example of the scenario that IR35 was initially designed to capture – an employer purposefully saving on NI contributions by actively encouraging people who would otherwise be employed to create sham limited companies. I really don’t understand why editorials by Computer Weekly and other IR35 pressure groups seem so sympathetic to their cause. As we all know, since it’s inception HMRC have abused IR35 in order to try and increase tax revenue by targeting small PSCs who are genuinely in business on their own accord, but are seemingly failing to target the organisations that are actually abusing the system.
      IMO it’s an encouraging sign that the BBC are being targeted in this way.

      • Soprano says:

        But not by HMRC. They’re content to just target the individuals concerned as opposed to the hirer. IR35 as a whole is an idiotic vendetta.

      • StickItToTheMan says:

        Because it is the people forced to create PSCs in order to work at the BBC who are being targeted. Most did not choose to do this of their own volition but were pressured into it by the BBC. In addition as is the case in all IR35 disputes the employer who benefits from avoiding NI contributions, not providing employee benefits and rights etc is subject to no action whatsoever from the taxman. The sympathy is not for the BBC but its workers who they have royally shafted.

  • The Q says:

    Remember when former BBC Director General (and
    Mandelson / True Labour crony) John Birt was made a Lord, and :

    1. voted with the govt to support the first inception of IR35

    2. was operating a classic PSC during some of his time as
    BBC DG

    As for the BBC (taxpayer funded) “workers” caught foul in
    this, now you know how some of us have felt since 2000.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Very pleasant. Excellent price for what I needed. I will be a returning customer.

Rhino Review

Mr Paul D

Great staff. Customer focused and a team who recognise and understand their customers 100%.

Rhino Review

Vijay S

Fantastic accountants who helped me submit my last 2 years personal tax returns! I really rate this company!!!

QAccounting Review

Natalie

Fantastic service.

Rhino Review

Marco G

Been with QAccounting for several months now, very good service, very personal and the best prices I have seen.

QAccounting Review

Muhammed A

I switched over to QAccounting a few months ago and haven't looked back. I get to speak to my own client manager and accountant, the prices were the best I had seen, and I paid exactly what it said online (no extra costs). Very happy with QA.

QAccounting Review

Jeremy H