Harry Potter Star Fined

Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, best known for his iconic role as Ron Weasley, faces a hefty tax bill exceeding £1.8 million following a legal defeat against HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The ruling brings an end to a prolonged dispute over a substantial payment he received during the 2011–12 tax period.

The case centers on a £4.5 million payment made to Grint by a company managing his business affairs, labeled as “consideration for rights, records, and goodwill.” Grint classified the sum as a “capital asset,” arguing it should fall under the more favorable capital gains tax rate. However, HMRC maintained that the payment was earned income and therefore subject to standard income tax rates.

In 2019, HMRC demanded an additional £1.8 million in taxes, sparking an appeal from Grint. His legal team argued that the correct amount of tax had already been paid and contested HMRC's interpretation of the payment. But after hearings at the First-Tier Tribunal in London in late 2022, Tribunal Judge Harriet Morgan sided with HMRC.

In her ruling, Judge Morgan stated that the sum “is taxable as income,” explaining that the payment “derived substantially the whole of its value from the activities of Mr. Grint.” As a result, the actor was ordered to pay the additional amount, concluding the prolonged legal dispute.

Grint, who began his acting career as a teenager in the first Harry Potter film in 2001, is estimated to have earned around £24 million for his portrayal of Ron Weasley. This is not his first financial setback; in 2019, he also lost a separate court case seeking a £1 million tax refund.

Despite his financial challenges, Grint remains a notable figure in British cinema, though he has kept a lower profile in recent years.