Rupert Grint Taking Government To Court Over £1m Tax Refund

Rupert Grint is taking the government to court over a disputed tax refund of £1 million.

The ‘Harry Potter’ star appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday to claim that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs owe him the huge rebate.

The issue is to do with the timing of when he tried to change his tax accounting dates back in 2010, in an effort to limit the effect of an increase in the top rate of tax from 40 percent to 50 percent.

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At the time, he was still filming the last of the 'Harry Potter’ movies, which make up a huge amount of his fortune, as well as investments in property.

The 27-year-old is said to have amassed £24 million from making the movies.

Up to the date he wanted to change his accounting to, April 5, 2010, he turned over £28 million, with a profit of £15 million.

However, HMRC claims that the attempt to change the date does not comply with their rules.

“There is no tax avoidance involved here,” said his barrister Patrick Soares.

“He has paid all his tax up front. If he wins the case he gets a refund. He just wants to make that point in open court.”

Grint took to the witness box during the hearing in London, saying that he relied on his accountant Dan Clay for advice on tax matters.

“I didn’t really have a reason to question them (the accounts),” he said.

“I am not too great. My knowledge of this is quite limited so I put a lot of faith and trust in Dan’s knowledge.”

Back in 2014, he spoke about the huge sums he earned from making the eight movies in the Harry Potter series.

“It was kind of ridiculous what we got,” he says. “And I must admit I don’t actually know how much I earned – the exact number.

“I’ve always known it was kinda ‘there’, and I’ve got quite an active involvement in stuff like that now, but I don’t really know the exact figures. And I’ve never really wanted to.

“I’m quite a laid-back person and not overly ambitious, really.”

Despite that, the actor has developed something of a property empire across Hertfordshire, under the name Eevil Plan Properties, worth in the region of £13 million.

Image credits: PA/Warner Bros