Kate Garraway has reportedly asked for help with a £716,000 tax bill from late husband Derek Draper’s company.
The 57-year-old Good Morning Britain presenter is said to have contacted a team of specialists as she continues to battle financial struggles, with the latest blow coming after she closed Draper’s company.
According to reports, his psychotherapy company Astra Aspera Ltd had £184,096.96 of debt when it was shut down, and Kate has been hit with a £716,000 tax bill after its closure.
She is said to have turned to financial experts Hacker Young for talks with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
An insider told The Sun: ‘It’s no secret that Kate has had a lot of financial burdens to deal with including Derek’s medical and care bills and the inevitable collapse of Derek’s company.
‘Kate has wisely sought some help and is working with a team to help guide her through addressing all these debts as speedily as possible.’
When it comes to its services, Hacker Young noted that they can offer advice ‘on the alternatives open to you and the merits and chances of success with each’ when it comes to disputes with HMRC.
They added: ‘We will advise you, warts-and-all, bearing in mind that cost is an important factor for you.
‘Should you need advice in deciding whether to seek a local reconsideration of HMRC’s decision or to lodge an appeal direct to the VAT & Duties Tribunal, we will be there to guide you and assist where needed.’
The report comes after Kate revealed this week she had to remove money from her pension pot in order to pay off bills for her late husband.
While on Good Morning Britain, the ITV presenter was discussing the increase in people feeling forced to go private for important medical surgeries such as hip operations.
They discussed the financial strain this could put on patients who were being told they would need to wait over 18 months for their surgery, with some taking out money from their pensions or even getting into debt instead of waiting for the NHS.
Kate revealed she had gone through something similar with Draper’s medical bills and even removed money from her pension.
‘I have had to withdraw the bit you can tax free from my pension to pay for belated bills for my husband, who has now passed away,’ she shared.
She added: ‘People are having to do things – it wasn’t a huge pension in the first place – which aren’t what they saved for.’
Her pension confession comes after Kate admitted Draper’s care put her in debt as it cost £16,000 per month, surpassing her paycheque from ITV.
Draper was in and out of hospital for years after contracting Covid, resulting in a lengthy and difficult battle with complications, including a medically induced coma.
Earlier this year, the ITV presenter announced the death of her husband aged 56, following a lengthy and difficult battle with complications related to Covid.
She said at the time: ‘I am in debt. I can’t earn enough money to cover my debt because I am managing Derek’s care and I can’t even use the money I do have to support Derek’s recovery because it’s going on the basics all the time.’
Kate also addressed the fact it was recently her first birthday without her husband as she faces lots of firsts without him.
Previously she shared how they are planning the first family holiday without him but revealed her birthday was ‘so sad’.
On the show, Kate addressed her birthday and with a slight sad twinge she said she was just ‘happy to be alive’ after a horrific few years.
Kate appeared cheerful for the show but her Instagram post told a different story as she shared she almost ‘cried all day’ missing her late husband.
‘Well yesterday was another one of those sad 1st’s – my first birthday 🎂 since Derek’s passing,’ the star captioned a video of her family singing happy birthday to her.
Kate continued: ‘Woke up feeling so sad & thought well I can either cry all day or celebrate life as he did so well. And thanks to wonderful friends it worked!’
Draper had died in January after a severe case of long Covid left him comatose for two months with numerous health conditions.
The virus badly damaged his internal organs, which resulted in him being admitted to hospital frequently after his initial illness escalated.
An intimate documentary, titled Finding Derek, looked at how his family – Kate, and their two children Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14 – cared for him and looked after him.
The children and their mum are now looking to go on holiday for the first time with their ‘new’ family dynamic.
‘We will get a family holiday. But it’s going to be a bit challenging because it’s a different kind of family set up that we have now,’ she told MailOnline. ‘But we will do something lovely.’
Despite the hardships she is facing, Kate appeared to be bright and cheerful on the morning show amid her birthday celebrations.
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Metro.co.uk has contacted Kate Garraway’s representatives for comment.
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