Jamie Carragher faces bankruptcy petition over £800,000 tax bill

Former footballer Jamie Carragher is facing a bankruptcy petition filed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over an alleged unpaid tax bill. The petition, naming the pundit as James Lee Duncan Carragher, was filed at the High Court on Wednesday, 26 August. The amount of the alleged tax debt is reported to be between £700,000 and £800,000.

HMRC's Last Resort

A spokesperson for HMRC stated that the department takes a supportive approach to customers with tax debts and offers options such as instalment plans. The spokesperson added that HMRC only petitions for bankruptcy as a last resort. The department does not comment on individual cases.

Carragher's Response

A spokesperson for Carragher told Daily Mail Sport that the matter is a private tax issue that should have been resolved earlier. They stated that appropriate steps are being taken to settle the debt imminently and that the matter is not expected to proceed further. Carragher, 48, spent his playing career with Liverpool, making over 500 appearances between 1996 and 2013.

Business Interests

In addition to his career as a football pundit for Sky Sports and other media outlets, Carragher is listed as a director of five companies. One of these companies, Cafe Sports England (Liverpool) Ltd, is currently in liquidation.