Hayley Mills Says 90% of Earnings Lost to Tax Trust
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- Hayley Mills told the Rosebud Podcast that she gave most of her child‑star earnings to a trust fund because the British supertax rate was 90 % at the time.
- Stanley, the financial advisor who set up the trust, told Mills to move to America and laughed when she asked about the tax bill.
- Inland Revenue attacked the trust, effectively demanding 90 % of Mills' earnings, according to her account.
- Mills said the loss meant she could not buy a larger house or a nicer car and that it forced her to work in America.
- Mills had previously told The Times in 2021 that receiving the money would have given her the freedom to say no to work.
- The trust was also set up for actor Jack Hawkins, creating a precedent in British law that Mills referenced.
Why it matters: Mills lost the financial independence that could have let her refuse work in America, while the tax authorities and the advisor benefited from the massive levy; the case highlights how historic tax rates and mismanaged trusts can permanently erode a star’s earnings.
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