In the first of a number of similar cases, the UK’s tax tribunal has dealt a blow to television presenters working for the BBC through personal service companies.

Christa Ackroyd, a television journalist and the former presenter of BBC1’s Look North programme appealed to the first tier tribunal after her company Christa Ackroyd Media Ltd (CAM Ltd) was deemed by HMRC to be liable to income tax and national insurance because of rules designed to prohibit workers avoiding PAYE deductions by being paid to their own Limited Company.

Ms Ackroyd was contracted to work at the BBC through her personal service company CAM...