Eamonn Holmes has revealed that his tax row with HMRC has cost him more than £1m and two houses – and he still owes a quarter of a million pounds
Eamonn Holmes has revealed the staggering impact of his lengthy tax dispute with HMRC — claiming it has cost him over £1 million, forced the sale of two properties, and left him still owing an additional £250,000.
The 65-year-old broadcaster, known for his decades of work across GB News, ITV, Sky News and more, said he has been left “ruined” financially, insisting the rulings against him have wiped out years of hard work.
The Northern Irish broadcaster, 65, branded HMRC as ‘thieves’ for ‘ruining him’ and revealed the saga has cost him a home in Belfast and a holiday pad in Portugal (Seen in December)
Eamonn says HMRC determined he should be classified as an employee rather than a freelance contractor, prompting a demand for ten years’ worth of back tax and national insurance contributions.
The presenter explained that he has already paid more than £1 million in repayments — funded, in part, by selling his Belfast home and a holiday property in Portugal — yet he still faces a remaining bill of £250,000.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, he said: “At the most vulnerable time in my life, they wrecked me financially.”
Eamonn appealed the ruling twice, losing both times, and says he was subsequently hit with major legal fees.
During his 40-year career, he has worked with many of Britain’s biggest broadcasters — from the BBC and Channel 4 to Channel 5 — and written for newspapers including the Daily Express and Daily Mirror.
Holmes also compared his situation to that of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, who successfully argued she was performing a role on-screen and therefore not comparable to a standard employee.
“I’d love to say I’m an actor playing the part of Eamonn Holmes,” he joked. “But I’m the same on-screen and off-screen — I don’t change for TV.”
Last year, he spoke candidly about the ordeal, saying he never received sick pay or holiday pay but wasn’t seeking public sympathy. “It feels like they’ve taken away everything I ever worked for,” he said in a conversation with former UTV colleague Gerry Kelly.
At the time, HMRC responded: “We take the wellbeing of taxpayers seriously and offer support, including affordable payment plans, to help people get their tax affairs in order.”
The broadcaster also recently expressed his frustration on-air about the difficulties he faces due to health issues. After undergoing back surgery in 2022, he now often relies on a walking frame or wheelchair.
During a discussion about a major Amazon Web Services outage, he criticised the decline of customer service and the struggle to reach a real person on the phone.
“Over the weekend, I spent up to 40 minutes at a time trying to get through to an actual human being,” he said. “Companies do everything to stop you talking to someone.”
Holmes added that this directly impacts his ability to travel comfortably: “You can’t even call a hotel anymore. Everything’s online. But I need to speak to someone — I need to explain my requirements. I need things like support bars in the bathroom. Nobody seems to care.”
