Jamie Carragher Faces Bankruptcy Petition Over Unpaid Tax Bill

Jamie Carragher is facing a bankruptcy petition over an unpaid tax bill understood to be between £700,000 and £800,000.

Court documents seen by the BBC confirm that a case was lodged against James Lee Duncan Carragher on Wednesday, with lawyers acting on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The filing was first reported by City AM.

Carragher and his representatives have been approached for comment.

HMRC has not discussed the specifics of the case, but a spokesperson outlined the organisation’s general stance on tax debts, telling BBC Sport: “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.”

Carragher, a Liverpool stalwart from 1996 to 2013 and a former England international, has built a high-profile media career since retiring. He is a regular on Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage, appears on the Stick To Football show and is part of CBS Sports’ Champions League programming.

As the petition emerged, Carragher’s camp moved to play down the prospect of a drawn-out dispute. A spokesperson for the 46-year-old told BBC Sport: “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.”