Jamie Carragher bankruptcy petition dismissed after tax debt is paid

Jamie Carragher will not be made bankrupt over an unpaid tax bill after a judge dismissed the petition brought against the former Liverpool defender. BBC News reported that HM Revenue and Customs confirmed the debt had been settled, bringing the proceedings against the 48-year-old football pundit to an end.

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Judge Nicholas Briggs dismissed the petition at the Insolvency and Companies Court in London on Tuesday, 13 October. Kevin Hassan, appearing for HMRC, told the hearing that the outstanding debt had been paid. The petition had been issued in August; its dismissal followed that confirmation of payment to the court.

No amount was disclosed at the hearing. The BBC said the bill had previously been reported to be in the region of £700,000 to £800,000, but that range was not confirmed as the sum paid. The Independent’s report, carried by Yahoo Sports, also said the hearing did not disclose the circumstances behind the original debt.

When the proceedings first became public in August, Carragher’s representative described the matter as private and acknowledged that it should have been dealt with earlier. In comments reported by RTÉ at the time, the spokesperson said steps were being taken to settle the bill and expressed the expectation that the matter would be resolved shortly without proceeding further.

HMRC also explained its approach when the petition emerged. The tax authority said it sought to help people who engaged with it over debts, including through instalment arrangements, and regarded bankruptcy petitions as a last resort. Those comments described its general approach; the reporting did not establish whether an instalment arrangement applied to Carragher’s case.

Carragher spent his entire professional playing career at Liverpool, making 737 appearances before retiring in 2013. He was part of the side that won the Champions League in 2005. Since retirement, he has worked in television with Sky Sports and CBS Sports, moving from a long career at Anfield into regular football broadcasting. Tuesday’s ruling resolves the bankruptcy petition arising from this tax debt.