HMRC

RUSSELL Brand could be hit with a £2.9million tax bill after his jail sentence made him a UK resident again. 

The rapist was advanced £7.4million by his British firm managing his earnings after sex investigations began. 

Then two years ago he moved his residence to the US on company records.  

And the loan was taken off his firm’s accounts last year. 

Entrepreneurs living abroad usually pay no further UK income tax on dividends from their companies — if they stay abroad over five years. 

UK residents pay up to 39.35 per cent on dividends so Brand could be liable for up to £2.9million tax. 

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The fallen funnyman and his wife Laura co-own Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm Limited which was formed in October 2006. 

The company managed his earnings from film and broadcast work, live shows, royalties and merchandise and made profits of £3,341,057 in 2021. 

A tax expert said: “HMRC will want to know how Brand’s £7.44m loan was wiped out in 2025 as a dividend or a write-off is taxable, and prison could bring the five-year rule into play. 

“Companies House records show he didn’t change his residence to the US in 2024 so he hasn’t been there long enough to be exempt. 

‘The tax will be owed by Brand personally – not the firm – and he won’t be able to offset his criminal defence costs against any business profits.” 

Brand was convicted at Southwark Crown Court eight days ago of one rape and three sexual assaults against four women. 

 He was cleared of two rapes and an attempted indecent assault. 

ROBBIE Williams has been cleared over controversial tax scheme links — paving the way for a gong in the King’s New Year’s Honours.

The pop superstar, 52, is in line for recognition for his charity work with Unicef and Soccer Aid after he founded the all-stars event in 2006.

Sources said the She’s the One singer’s tax affairs had been “green-flagged” after a probe, meaning Whitehall chiefs can put him ­forward to for an honour — and he could even be made a Sir.

He has previously been linked to investments in Ingenious Media, a financing company designated a tax avoidance scheme by HMRC.

Footie stars and other celebs — including David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Ant and Dec — were caught up in the battle between Ingenious and investigators.

Becks, also a Unicef ambassador, was knighted in 2025 after HMRC conducted financial checks.

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And former Take That member Robbie is now set for a gong.

A source said: “Robbie’s name has been put forward and if he gets anything it’s likely to be a knighthood or possibly an OBE.

“He has raised hundreds of ­millions for charity and this year was the 20th year of Soccer Aid — which was his idea. So his name has been put on the list by the charity and philanthropy committee after it was green-flagged. There are more hoops to get through, and it needs to go forward to the main honours committee and then the PM and ultimately the King.

“Anyone who is high-profile is checked and vetted thoroughly.

“And one of those checks is their tax affairs, so it is a good sign for him that HMRC have given him the thumbs-up.”

It was reported in 2019 that he was barred from receiving an OBE over his links to the tax scheme and placed on an “honours blacklist”.

But he is understood to have now satisfied Treasury bosses over his finances.

Robbie, who with wife Ayda, 47, and their four kids lives part of the year in California, has a home in London and pays tax here.

Stoke-born Robbie — catapulted to fame when he joined Take That in 1990 — founded Soccer Aid with pal Jonathan Wilkes and the annual fundraiser has so far made more than £137million.

This year’s event at a sold-out London Stadium, screened live on ITV, raised more than £16million for Unicef.

Robbie started working with Unicef after seeing the organisation’s efforts in Sri Lanka in 1998 and became a UK ambassador in 2000.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “We do not comment on speculation regarding honours.”