EAMONN Holmes claimed “they’ve taken everything” after being “forced” to sell his beloved home, as he slammed the HMRC.
The TV presenter had to give up his Northern Ireland property, in the Belmont area of Belfast, after a long-running dispute with HM Revenue and Customs.
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After losing two appeals against the HMRC, in which the 64-year-old forked out “hundreds of thousands of pounds” to settle legal fees, Eamonn was ordered to pay £250,000.
A tribunal in 2020 ruled he was employed by ITV while hosting This Morning, not working as a freelancer.
Tax officials ordered the GB News host to pay a decades worth of backdated national insurance and tax payments.
The veteran presenter previously argued he had never been handed sick pay, holiday pay or shares in companies while working at ITV.
He told his former UTV co-star Gerry Kelly: “I had a house here until six weeks ago when I was forced to sell it by the Inland Revenue (HMRC).
“It’s something I’m very bitter about because people think you earn lots of money and therefore you have to pay. It’s like they have taken away everything I ever worked for.
“People think it’s only the Eamonn Holmeses of this world that they’re after. But it’s not. The country is broken.”
Last year, Eamonn revealed the tax row was “the most stressful experience outside of losing my father”.
He believed his anxiety resulted in a case of shingles in 2018, which could have left him blind.
At the time he said: “I was like a lamb to the slaughter – it was the most stressful, humiliating experience.
“It was b****y scary to see [the illness]. It looked as if someone had taken a baseball bat to my face and smashed me about a bit.”
An HMRC spokesperson said: “We take the wellbeing of all taxpayers seriously and do everything we can for those who engage with us to get their tax affairs in order, including by offering affordable payment plans.”
Eamonn previously revealed dreams of moving back to Belfast early last year, perhaps to the home he has now been forced to sell.
However, wife Ruth Langsford was not as keen, according to her husband, who spoke to Loose Women’s Kaye Adams on her How To Be 60 podcast.
She asked: “Could you see yourself moving to Belfast?”
To which Eammon replied: “Oh gosh yes, but Ruth wouldn’t want that, she won’t go, she wouldn’t go.”
The couple currently reside in their incredible Surrey mansion and frequently give fans a glimpse into the lavish home.
They have showed off their luxury pad over the years, revealing an amazing kitchen, which boasts oak cupboards, white marble worktops and matching tiled flooring.
Their massive dining room also appears regularly on social media during holiday period after being transformed to fit the seasonal theme.
Footage of their dedicated workout zone, where Ruth often documents her exercise routines, has impressed viewers.
The pair also love to cuddle up in their large lounge, which offers a working fireplace and huge TV over the mantel.
There is a huge bathroom and a special laundry room.
Meanwhile, Ruth has her own white arm chair with matching footstool where she likes to sit with a cup of tea and Eamonn has his own office space.
The room has been transformed into a proper man cave with a giant Manchester United mural on the wall and framed memorabilia on the walls.
This comes after Eamonn shared a health update to fans after being photographed in a mobility scooter last year.
The former This Morning presenter has been suffering from chronic back pain over the past few years.
He unfortunately fell down the stairs two weeks into his recovery after undergoing a back operation last September.
Speaking to his guest Tim Franklin, the former Sky News Sunrise host remarked: “I can’t run, I can’t walk, I can’t do anything except watch TV and eat.
“I just got problems last year in my back, which I haven’t recovered from. It’s not good, it’s not a good recipe I have to say.
Turning to the panellist, he hinted that he struggles to build the energy to heal as he remarked: “You are a good motivation for all of us.
“What would you say to people out there who just have not got that motivation?”
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