Jamie Carragher Faces Bankruptcy Petition Over Unpaid Tax Bill

Jamie Carragher is confronting the prospect of being declared bankrupt after tax authorities filed a petition over an unpaid bill understood to be between £700,000 and £800,000.

Documents seen by the BBC confirm that a case was lodged on Wednesday against James Lee Duncan Carragher, the former Liverpool and England defender who has become one of the most prominent pundits on British television.

The petition has been brought by lawyers acting for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and was first reported by City AM.

Carragher and his representatives have been approached for comment.

HMRC declined to discuss the specifics of the case, but a spokesperson set out the organisation’s general stance on tax debts, saying it adopts a “supportive approach” with those who owe money and engage with the process, including offering instalment plans. The spokesperson stressed that bankruptcy petitions are used only “as a last resort”.

Carragher, a one-club stalwart for Liverpool from 1996 to 2013, now features regularly on Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage, appears on the Stick To Football show and is part of CBS Sports’ Champions League programming.

A spokesperson for Carragher 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.”