Jamie Carragher Facing Bankruptcy Petition over Unpaid Tax Claim
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
Sport
Business
Technology
Health
Culture
Arts
Travel
Earth
Audio
Video
Live
More menu
More menu
Search BBC
Home
News
Sport
Business
Technology
Health
Culture
Arts
Travel
Earth
Audio
Video
Live
BBC Sport
Menu
Home
Football
Cricket
Formula 1
Rugby U
Tennis
Golf
Cycling
Athletics
More
A-Z Sports
American Football
Athletics
Basketball
Boxing
Cricket
Cycling
Darts
Disability Sport
Football
Formula 1
Gaelic Games
Golf
Gymnastics
Horse Racing
Mixed Martial Arts
Motorsport
Netball
Rugby League
Rugby Union
Snooker
Swimming
Tennis
Full Sports A-Z
More from Sport
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
Quizzes
News Feeds
Help & FAQs
Football
Scores & Fixtures
Tables
Follow Your Team
Premier League
Gossip
Transfers
Women
European
Leagues & Cups
Quizzes
Carragher facing bankruptcy petition over unpaid tax claim
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Jamie Carragher regularly appears on Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage
By Dan Roan
Sports editor
Published 27 August 2026, 12:40 BST
Updated 31 minutes ago
Former Liverpool and England player turned pundit Jamie Carragher faces being declared bankrupt over an unpaid tax bill, said to be in the region of £700,000 – £800,000.
Documents seen by the BBC show that a case was filed against James Lee Duncan Carragher on Wednesday.
The ‘bankruptcy petition’ filed by lawyers representing HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was first reported by City AM.
A spokesperson for HMRC told 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, who played for Liverpool between 1996 and 2013, regularly appears on Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage, the Stick To Football show, and 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."
Carragher is not the only footballer who has run into tax issues in his post-playing career. Former England internationals David James, Wes Brown, and Lee Hendrie have all been declared bankrupt, while former Liverpool team-mate Emile Heskey lost a legal battle over an unpaid £1.637m tax bill in 2024.
In 2025, Trevor Sinclair was made bankrupt after failing to pay a tax bill of more than £36,000. In the same year, Shaun Wright-Phillips was petitioned for bankruptcy by HMRC at London’s High Court.
Last September, it was revealed that up to 200 footballers may have lost tens of millions of pounds, with some losing their homes and being made bankrupt. Former England midfielder Danny Murphy, now a Match of the Day pundit, believes he lost roughly £5m because of "financial abuse."
