Hayley Mills' Lost Child-Star Earnings: Trust, Tax, and a Crooked Advisor

Hayley Mills earned millions as Disney’s lead in *The Parent Trap* (1961) and other 1960s films. She later disclosed that most of those earnings were placed in a trust and seized by the British tax authority, leaving her with little wealth.

Variety Magazine

In the 1960s Britain imposed a 90 percent “supertax” on incomes. To avoid it, Mills’ father’s adviser, Stanley Passmore, set up a trust company for her earnings. The Inland Revenue later challenged the trust, creating a legal precedent.

Variety Magazine

• Hayley Mills – former Disney child star

Variety Magazine

• Sir John Mills – her father, finances managed by Passmore

Variety Magazine

• Stanley Passmore – financial adviser who created the trust

Variety Magazine

• Inland Revenue – tax authority that demanded 90 percent of her earnings

Variety Magazine

• Jack Hawkins – whose trust was also set up by Passmore

Variety Magazine

• 1959: BAFTA for most promising newcomer for *Tiger Bay*

Variety Magazine

• 1961: *The Parent Trap* released

Variety Magazine

• Early-mid 1960s: Passmore establishes trust for Mills and Hawkins

Variety Magazine

• 1967 (age 21): Inland Revenue issues envelope demanding 90 percent of earnings

Variety Magazine

• 2024: Mills discusses the loss on Rosebud Podcast

Variety Magazine

The 90 percent supertax meant “most of it” of Mills’ earnings were taken. Mills summed the result with “I gave it to the tax man.” No amount is disclosed, but she described the loss as “millions of dollars.”

Variety Magazine

The Inland Revenue’s challenge to Passmore’s trust set a precedent for British tax law, influencing how entertainers’ trusts are treated. The case illustrates the risk of financial mismanagement for child performers and the impact of tax enforcement.

Variety Magazine

Mills told the Rosebud Podcast that the trust was created because the 90 percent supertax left her with no viable option. She said the adviser’s guidance was “not very well” and that she received tax demand without clear explanation.

Variety Magazine

Mills labeled Passmore “a crook” and criticized his suggestion to move to America as a solution. She recalled asking, “Well, what does this mean? I don’t understand,” highlighting a breach of fiduciary duty.

Variety Magazine

Sources do not disclose the exact sum lost nor provide independent verification of the trust’s structure. Details of Inland Revenue’s legal reasoning and the resulting precedent remain unquantified.

Variety Magazine

• “I gave it to the tax man.” — Hayley Mills

Variety Magazine

• “And so, when I reached 21, instead of being given the key to the door, I was handed an envelope across a green baize tablecloth by Stanley, which was the Inland Revenue basically saying, ‘Thank you. You owe us 90 percent of your earnings.’ And I’ve never been good at figures. I said, ‘Well, what does this mean? I don’t understand.’ And Stanley laughed and said, ‘Well, I think it means you have to move to America.’ And that’s all he ever said. He was a crook.” — Hayley Mills, about Stanley Passmore

Variety Magazine

• “And so, when I reached 21, instead of being given the key to the door, I was handed an envelope across a green baize tablecloth by Stanley, which was the Inland Revenue basically saying, ‘Thank you. You owe us 90 percent of your earnings.’ And I’ve never been good at figures. I said, ‘Well, what does this mean? I don’t understand.’ And Stanley laughed and said, ‘Well, I think it means you have to move to America.’ And that’s all he ever said. He was a crook.” — Hayley Mills, age 21

Variety Magazine

• “And so, when I reached 21, instead of being given the key to the door, I was handed an envelope across a green baize tablecloth by Stanley, which was the Inland Revenue basically saying, ‘Thank you. You owe us 90 percent of your earnings.’ And I’ve never been good at figures. I said, ‘Well, what does this mean? I don’t understand.’ And Stanley laughed and said, ‘Well, I think it means you have to move to America.’ And that’s all he ever said. He was a crook.” — Stanley Passmore, recalled by Mills

Variety Magazine

• “And so, when I reached 21, instead of being given the key to the door, I was handed an envelope across a green baize tablecloth by Stanley, which was the Inland Revenue basically saying, ‘Thank you. You owe us 90 percent of your earnings.’ And I’ve never been good at figures. I said, ‘Well, what does this mean? I don’t understand.’ And Stanley laughed and said, ‘Well, I think it means you have to move to America.’ And that’s all he ever said. He was a crook.” — Inland Revenue, quoted by Mills

Variety Magazine

Mills’ recent podcast interview has renewed public interest, but no further legal action or restitution has been announced. The episode remains a cautionary example for current child performers and their guardians.

Variety Magazine