Jamie Carragher escapes bankruptcy after settling unpaid tax bill with HMRC

Jamie Carragher has avoided bankruptcy after settling an unpaid tax bill with HMRC, with Judge Nicholas Briggs formally dismissing the petition against him at the Insolvency and Companies Court on Tuesday, 13 October.

The petition had been filed in August, but Kevin Hassan of HMRC confirmed in court that all outstanding fees owed by the former Liverpool and England defender had since been paid. No exact figure was disclosed during the hearing.

When the petition first came to light several months ago, a spokesperson for the 48-year-old moved quickly to reassure that the matter would be resolved without delay. “This is a private tax matter that should have been resolved sooner, and the appropriate steps are being taken today to settle it,” the spokesperson said at the time. “It is understood that the matter will not proceed any further, and will be resolved imminently.”

HMRC, which had declined to comment on the individual case when the petition emerged, previously outlined its general approach to tax debt. “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and do everything we can to help those who engage with us to get out of debt, such as offering instalment plans,” a spokesperson said. “We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort.”

Carragher, who retired from professional football in 2013 after a 17-year career at Liverpool, has built a prominent second career as a television pundit and analyst. The dismissal of the petition draws a line under a legal process that had threatened to overshadow that public profile.