Rupert Grint, best known for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, has been ordered to pay £1.8 million in taxes after losing a legal battle with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
The case stems from a 2019 HMRC investigation that challenged one of Grint’s tax filings. Lawyers for the 36-year-old actor argued that a payment he received from a company managing his business should have been taxed as a capital asset at a lower rate. However, HMRC maintained it should be taxed as income, which incurs a higher rate.
The dispute focused on £4.5 million Grint received during the 2011-2012 tax year from a company where he was the sole shareholder. The payment, attributed to “residual income and bonuses” from the *Harry Potter* franchise, was taxed at the top income rate of 52%. Grint contended it should have been taxed at the capital gains rate of 10%.
Tribunal judge Harriet Morgan dismissed his appeal, ruling that the funds were derived almost entirely from Grint’s professional activities and should be classified as income.
Grint, who appeared in all eight *Harry Potter* films from 2001 to 2011, has since pursued various film, TV, and theatre roles. His recent credits include the Apple TV series *Servant*, where he has starred for four years, as well as the films *Into the White* and *Knock at the Cabin*.
