[James]

An inspector calls at Big Brother house

Tax inspectors will be knocking on the door of the Big Brother house in the coming weeks.

Bosses at Elstree Film and Television Studios, in Shenley Road, have been contacted by the Valuation Office Agency to arrange an assessment of the reality TV show set.

The agency wants to investigate whether to charge business rates for the house, which is home to a dozen Big Brother housemates during the summer and Celebrity Big Brother contestants in the winter. However, Endemol, the production company behind the show, is taking legal advice on whether the visit is necessary.

A spokesman for the Valuation Office, which is part of HM Revenue and Customs, said: "We are going down there imminently because we believe the site could be liable for rates because it's a permanent structure.

"We need to see if it should be rated separately."

The house does not qualify for being charged council tax like normal homes because it is part of a television set. The tax inspectors decided to look into it when they realised the house was not a temporary addition to the site it has been there for five years now.

A spokeswoman for Endemol said: "We are aware of this matter and we are looking into it."

Business rates are collected by the borough council.

10:32am Friday 11th November 2005

http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk...ther_house.php