KATE Garraway is being hounded for £716,000 by the taxman – after the Covid tragedy which hit husband Derek forced her to close down his family business.
The Good Morning Britain presenter is facing the six-figure bill when she’s already struggling with the emotional strain and huge cost of caring for him.
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The pursuit of Kate is in stark contrast to the way HMRC has failed to recover billions from the fraudsters who stole billions from Covid support schemes.
The final bill facing Kate, 56, will be battled out in the coming weeks, but friends close to the star insist she will shell out every penny once a final figure is agreed.
A pal said: “The figures are terrifying and Kate is of course worried about all the financial pressures, but she has to trust the process.
“When it comes to an end, she is determined to pay back anything that’s owed.
“It’s no secret that Kate has been battling to keep her husband alive and working through some heartbreaking situations in her personal life in recent years.
“Sadly as well as the emotional stress of Derek’s terrible illnesses the financial burden has also been crippling.
“Not only has the family lost one of its primary earners but in addition, the cost of caring for Derek has taken an enormous toll financially.
“One of the most complicated financial situations facing Kate was Derek’s company which she has eventually managed to get closed down with liquidators now in charge of resolving all the financial matters.”
The bill relates to Astera Aspera Ltd, a firm set up in December 2011, providing psychotherapy and other services which was once solely run by Kate’s psychotherapist husband, Derek, 55.
The company was forced into liquidation in march of last year and HMRC estimated it owed £124,000 in taxes.
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Now, despite not having seen the accounts, they’ve come up with a figure almost six times higher.
Derek was hospitalised with Covid in March 2020 and placed into an induced coma while his body fought one of the worst reactions to disease ever seen.
It was over a year before he could return home to Kate and their two children, and as he struggles with mobility and speaking, still needs round the clock care as he makes a slow recovery.
Kate became one of the directors of the firm when Derek fell ill and last year she wound up the business as she struggled to look after her husband, and children as well as her TV work.
Kate’s friends said: “Derek’s company had to be put into liquidation sadly last year, at that point it had debts of £124,000.
“HMRC have now submitted an estimated figure of £716,822 to the liquidators which has come as a surprise to all involved, because they haven’t yet viewed the company accounts.”
“The liquidators are preparing to submit the accounts and are managing the process with HMRC.”
The stand-off between Kate and the HMRC comes after the tax office was told by MPs it had to ramp up its drive to get back billions in taxes dodged during the pandemic.
Dame Meg Hillier, chair of the public accounts committee, last month said they shouldn’t harm vulnerable businesses hard hit by Covid, but should target opportunistic big fish.
She said: “HMRC’s challenges chasing down high-wealth individuals and companies who take advantage of every trick in the book to avoid and evade tax and outrun the law are well-known.
“Those tricks are just not available to ordinary people.
“HMRC must push much harder at the doors of those who are not paying their fair share.”
Kate Garraway’s representatives were contact but declined to comment.
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