The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that HMRC unlawfully disclosed confidential information to journalists about financial advisers Ingenious Media, the promoter of controversial film investment schemes.

As a result, HMRC is facing a multimillion-pound legal bill over the case, which has been fought in and out of the courts for the past four years. Ingenious has devised ways to use film investment rules to minimise tax for its wealthy clients. It attracted investment from a range of famous names, including Spice Girls Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm, singer Robbie Williams and former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall.