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The MP for Warrington South raised the issue in the House of Commons on Wednesday during a debate on the budget.

He highlighted the broadcaster's admission that it had 318 people earning more than 50,000 without paying tax at source, saying: "That is not acceptable.

Mr Mowat, a member of the Commons public accounts committee (PAC), added: "The review that is being conducted across government ... explicitly excludes the BBC. I ask ministers to reconsider that."

The BBC disclosed that it has 20,000 salaried staff and "typically" 12,000 freelancers in any year.

Its response said: "Around 3,000 of these choose to provide their services via a limited company." It added that 1,363 workers paid through limited companies earn above 26,000 a year.

Stephen Barclay, another Tory MP on the PAC, said: "This reply shows that there is a need for much greater transparency at the BBC because the figures do not include so many people from BBC's talent which covers its main presenters and its commercial operations.

"There is also a duty on the BBC Trust over accountability to check whether people who are employed through these companies do not have rolling contracts running every year and are working exclusively for the BBC."

A BBC spokesman said:"We have written to Mr Mowat to correct him explaining that these individuals are not permanent members of BBC staff so do not have their tax deducted at source in the way a the vast majority of employees do.

"In the main they are hired to do specific jobs for a fixed period of time such as directing, editing and other craft skills. When a person is contracted in this way it is their responsibility to organise their tax arrangements directly with the HMRC.

"This is entirely in keeping with HMRC regulations and is standard practice across the broadcasting and many other industries."

Link:
PLS LEGAL Thousands of BBC workers paid through limited companies