DJ Chris Moyles has responded to a court's finding that he claimed to be a second-hand car dealer in order to save £1million in tax. "I want to comment about a recent tribunal tax ruling," tweeted the 40-year-old. "Upon advice, I signed up to a scheme which I was assured was legal. Despite this, my knowledge of the dealings of the scheme were naive. "I'm not a tax expert and acted on advice I was given. This was a mistake and I accept the ruling without reservation," he added. "I take full responsibility and have learnt a valuable lesson."
© Photo: Getty ImagesChris landed in hot water after a tribunal found that he had claimed to be used car dealer in order to save up to £1million in tax.
A tax court found that Chris and two other men took part in a scheme called "Working Wheels" which is said to have included "450 fund managers, celebrities and other high earners between 2006 and 2008" as members.
According to the Press Association "The scheme worked by allowing its members to say they had incurred large fees while working in the second-hand car trade which they could claim back against their tax bill."
© Photo: Getty ImagesWhile he was presenting Radio One's Breakfast Show in 2008, Chris's self-assessed tax return for the financial year said he "had engaged in self-employment as a used car trader."
Leeds-born Chris chose to submit a brief witness statement, rather than giving direct evidence to the tribunal, led by Judge Colin Bishopp, although they described that evidence as "very brief and rather uninformative."
"It is however quite clear from the statement that he too entered the scheme for no purpose other than to achieve a tax saving, and that he took no interest in the trade," read their statement. "[Chis Moyles was] anxious to be reassured that the scheme was lawful, and that he would not have to undertake any trading himself".
