HMRC 'blocks honours' for celebrities over tax avoidance schemes

Celebrities who enter into tax avoidance schemes face being shunned for honours such as knighthoods as authorities clamp down on rewarding those with "poor" financial behaviour.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been alerting the Cabinet Office to individuals involved in controversial tax schemes.

A memorandum of understanding issued by the government department and obtained by The Times says "poor tax behaviour is not consistent with the award of an honour".

A document published on the Gov.uk website said the vetting process sees HMRC assign a low, medium, or high risk rating to prospective nominees "to minimise the risk that prospective candidates have behaved in ways likely to bring the system into disrepute".

The Times said medium risk includes those whose tax affairs would be "likely to cause adverse comment", such as "participating in one or more avoidance schemes".

Red warnings are assigned to those on the HMRC's Managing Serious Defaulters Programme, along with those involved in "offshore evasion", the report claimed.

The memo is reported to have said: "Trust would likely be lost if an honour was awarded to someone with negative tax behaviours and those behaviours became linked to the positive recognition that accompanies the award of an honour."

A time limit of three years is said to be in place, meaning candidates can be cleared to receive an honour if they have abandoned avoidance schemes.

Individuals can be nominated despite the "use of personal service companies" or if there affairs amount to "acceptable tax planning", it is reported.

Last year David Beckham appeared to reveal his frustration in missing out on a knighthood in 2013.

The 43-year-old was among a number of celebrities to invest in a tax avoidance scheme which was challenged successfully by HMRC.

It is not known if the footballing legend was among those blocked from receiving an honour over tax avoidance.

A government spokeswoman said: "Honours are given to reward outstanding service in a given field or area and each nomination is rigorously assessed.

"As a matter of longstanding policy, in order to protect the integrity of the system, Government departments which may have an interest in a particular nomination - including HMRC - are invited to contribute their views during this process."

Additional reporting by Press Association.