Mike Ashley calls on Reeves to hold HMRC ‘to account’ after court victory
Mike Ashley has called on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to hold HMRC “to account” after the Sports Direct tycoon won a victory over the taxman in a data protection court battle.
In a ruling today, the High Court said HMRC had taken “too narrow an approach” when it refused to hand over personal information to Ashley following a so-called subject access request.
Such requests allow individuals to legally request information an organisation may hold on them.
The origins of Ashley’s claim stretch back to 2012, when the billionaire sold a group of properties to special purpose vehicles owned by Sports Direct for £88.6m.
HMRC initially claimed the price of the properties had been inflated and Ashley owed an additional £13.6m in taxes from the sale. It later ditched the claim after a challenge in 2022.
In September 2022, Ashley’s lawyers made a request for HMRC to share his personal data in connection to the inquiry.
However, the court was told by Ashley’s barrister that HMRC “wrongfully withheld a very considerable amount of data on the basis that it does not amount to Ashley’s personal data”.
HMRC provided some data 17 months after the request was made, and a month after the legal action was filed, the court heard.
Justice Heather Williams said in a ruling today that HMRC “has currently adopted too narrow an approach to what amounts to the claimant’s ‘personal data'”.
James Cornwell, for HMRC, said the tax body “frankly accepts” that it previously failed to comply with obligations.
A spokesperson for Ashley said the judgement provided “vindication” and called on the Chancellor to take action against the body.
“Mike was recently named as being among the top ten taxpayers in the UK. However, he believes HMRC should be held to account by Rachel Reeves for its flawed investigation into his finances and its subsequent behaviour,” the spokesperson said.
“The Government is committed to a pro-growth agenda, but this will not be achieved by demonising high earners who are willing to pay their fair share.”
An HMRC spokesperson said: “We take our data protection obligations very seriously and respect the rights of taxpayers who wish to access the personal data we hold about them.
“We acknowledge the court’s findings and its helpful guidance, and we will reconsider our response to the request made by Mr Ashley.”