LONDON—Former “Harry Potter” film actor Rupert Grint is facing a 1.8 million-pound ($2.3 million) bill following his loss in a legal battle with the tax authorities.
Grint, best known for his role as Ron Weasley in the popular film series, was instructed to pay the amount in 2019 after an investigation by H.M. Revenue and Customs, the UK tax agency, into his tax return from seven years prior.
The agency determined that Grint had incorrectly categorized 4.5 million pounds in residuals from the movies—including earnings from DVD sales, TV syndication, streaming rights, and other sources—as a capital asset instead of income, which is subject to a higher tax rate.
Despite Grint’s legal team appealing the decision, a tribunal judge ruled in favor of the tax authorities this week. Judge Harriet Morgan stated that the money “derived substantially the whole of its value from the activities of Mr. Grint” and therefore “is taxable as income.”
Now 36 years old, Grint appeared in all eight Harry Potter films released between 2001 and 2011, portraying the character of Ron Weasley. It is estimated that he earned around 24 million pounds from his role in the franchise.
This is not the first time Grint has faced tax-related challenges, as he previously lost a separate court case involving a 1 million pound tax refund in 2019.
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