Bafta trustees may have broken charity law by accepting free guest tickets

Michael Pritchett told members at Bafta's annual general meeting that legal advice obtained at his own expense suggested offences could have been committed by trustees who approved the charity's accounts. These accounts falsely stated that no trustees had received remuneration or benefits.

Pritchett claimed trustees had received complimentary tickets for themselves and a guest at the film, television and games awards, potentially for as long as 20 years. The guest tickets were top-table seats, with a second ticket at the film awards selling for £2,000.

Legal implications

Bafta's governing document states that trustees may not receive remuneration or other benefits from the academy. Pritchett revealed that the charity's 2024 and 2025 accounts explicitly stated no trustees had received remuneration, while its public register made similar declarations.

Tax concerns

Pritchett also raised questions about possible tax liabilities, noting that benefits of this kind were likely taxable since 2016, with national insurance potentially payable by Bafta. He could not establish whether the arrangements had been reported to authorities.

Bafta's outgoing chair, Sara Putt, confirmed the board had ended the practice of giving trustees guest tickets in 2025 after a governance committee recommendation. She stated an independent review group was examining the matter.

Response and next steps

Pritchett criticised a senior Bafta executive's refusal to provide records of who received complimentary tickets, despite committee terms allowing access to any academy information. He noted members had paid £4.7m in fees the previous year.

Pritchett called on trustees to pay any taxes due, repay money owed and correct the accounts. Putt responded: "If we were told we had to pay those taxes, we would absolutely pay those taxes." Bafta confirmed the independent review is ongoing.