Judge Nicholas Briggs dismissed the petition at the Insolvency and Companies Court in London on Tuesday. Kevin Hassan, representing HMRC, told the hearing that the outstanding debt had been settled, with no figure disclosed from the bench.
The petition had been issued in late August and concerned a tax bill of approximately £800,000, according to the Daily Star, though HMRC never confirmed the amount publicly and no sum was read out at Tuesday’s hearing.
A bankruptcy petition is not the same as being declared bankrupt. HMRC typically pursues administrative recovery first and then issues a statutory demand giving the debtor 21 days to pay before escalating to court, a legal analysis of the Carragher case by UK firm Tax Disputes explained, describing the court petition as a “last resort” step.
Six weeks from petition to dismissal
When the case first became public in late August, a spokesperson for Carragher told BBC Sport that steps were being taken to clear the debt, in a statement carried by ESPN and others.
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“This is a private tax matter that should have been resolved sooner, and the appropriate steps are being taken today to settle it. It is understood that the matter will not proceed any further and will be resolved imminently.”
HMRC’s own statement at the time set out the department’s standard 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. We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort.”
737 games for Liverpool
Carragher, 48, made 737 appearances for Liverpool before retiring in 2013. He was part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2005.
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Since hanging up his boots he has become one of the most familiar voices in English football broadcasting, co-hosting Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football and appearing on CBS Sports’ coverage of the Champions League.
Tuesday’s ruling at the Insolvency and Companies Court closes the case without any insolvency order being made against him.
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