Jimmy Carr admits tax scandal could have ended career

Jimmy Carr has recalled the public furore over his tax affairs five years ago and admits he is aware the incident could have ended his career.

In 2012, the 44-year-old stand-up comedian came under fire for getting caught up in a tax avoidance scandal that required the person to "quit” their job and sign a new employment contract with an offshore shell company based in Jersey.

“When you're in the middle of that [it's] like, 'could this be a career-ender?'” he told BBC Radio 4’s programme Desert Island Discs. “I guess with something like that, that's the worst case scenario.”

“Even worst case scenario, I've had a pretty good run in showbiz terms. I've been at the same level for probably 12 years now - that's very lucky to have a long, sustained career in showbiz. So it's going to disappear at some point," he added.

The then-prime minister David Cameron described Carr's tax situation as “very dodgy” and “morally wrong”. Under pressure, Carr pulled out of the scheme, apologising at the time for a “terrible error of judgement”.

“If the prime minister breaks off from the G20 summit in Mexico - in a meeting with the 19 most important people in the world - and he comes out and makes a press statement about your tax affairs, that is going to need dealing with,” Carr continued.

“You've got to get out in front of it, and also you need to own it. Sometimes when footballers are involved in these things, people go: 'Well he probably didn't know what was going on and he got advice'. I don't think anybody was buying that line with me, I think people thought: 'He probably knew what he was doing'.”

Carr said that he had no clue about the size of the scheme and says he only signed up to it based on the advice of a third party.

“If someone comes to you and says, 'Do you want to pay less tax? It's totally legal, you can do this thing, and if it ever comes up you just have to pay them' - you go, 'yeah, fine, great'.

"In the end you make good and say: 'Right I'll pay every penny of tax I ever owed.'”