Harry Potter Star Rupert Grint Loses Tax Refund Battle

Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, failed in an effort to recover approximately 1 million pounds on his tax refund from the United Kingdom, showing that Expelliarmus spells don’t work with the U.K. tax authorities.

A judge on a tax tribunal denied an appeal from Grint’s attorneys to change the years when he received income to avoid a higher tax rate from HM Revenue and Customs. The U.K. levied a 50 percent tax rate on income earned in 2010 to 2011 in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Grint’s accountants attempted to move eight months' worth of income to the 2009-2010 tax year, when the top rate was a comparatively modest 40 percent, following the counsel of his tax advisers Clay & Associates, according to the BBC. HMRC agreed the 27-year-old actor had the right to change his accounting date, but disagreed his accountants had managed to accomplish it in accordance with the tax laws.

Grint admitted his financial knowledge was “quite limited.” Judge Barbara Mosedale noted “that he placed his faith in his father and accountants to deal with his financial affairs.”

Grint did not engage in tax avoidance, she acknowledged, as he had already paid the full amount of taxes.