A FORMER Celtic manager is facing bankruptcy again – just two years after he last fended off the threat of financial ruin.
Despite a glorious playing career his spell at Celtic didn’t go well and since retiring from playing he has multiple run-ins with HMRC.
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John Barnes had an ill-fated spell as Celtic’s head coachCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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But he is a cult hero for England, Watford, Liverpool and NewcastleCredit: Getty
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He has also been a pundit in his time since retiringCredit: Getty
Ex-Liverpool, Newcastle United and England hero John Barnes was on the receiving end of a petition lodged at the High Court today by the tax authorities.
It was filed close to two months after it emerged Barnes had racked up more than £1.5 million in debts at his media company, John Barnes Media Limited.
That included almost £800,000 due to HMRC.
The most recent liquidators’ report on his media firm showed he owed HMRC £776,878 in unpaid VAT, NI and PAYE.
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The 61-year-old was banned from being a company director for more than three-and-a-half years in 2024, after his company failed to pay more than £78,000 in corporation tax between August 2018 and January 2020.
And the business was found to have failed to pay nearly £200,000 in corporation tax and VAT combined during that 18-month period, following a report by the Insolvency Agency.
Barnes also owed unsecured creditors £461,849, a directors loan worth £226,000, and liquidators’ costs amounting to £56,535.
The cult hero winger, who won two league titles and two FA Cups at Anfield, has staved off multiple previous bankruptcy petitions since 2010.
He last avoided going bust in May 2023 after settling a personal-tax bill of more than £200,000.
Another petition lodged against him was dismissed in court later that same year.
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In the most recent case, Barnes has paid back £60,000 in instalments, according to the liquidators’ report.
Mike Smith, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Individuals and businesses not paying the tax they should deprives the Government of the funding it needs to provide vital public services and investment in areas such as schools, hospitals and roads.
“John Barnes had a legal duty to ensure his company paid the correct amount of corporation tax and VAT. Instead, it paid no tax whatsoever between November 2018 and October 2020, despite receiving earnings of well over £400,000.
“This disqualification should serve as a deterrent to other directors that if you do not pay your taxes while directing money elsewhere, you are at risk of being banned.”
Barnes, who had an ill-fated spell as Celtic manager between 1999 and 2000, set up his media business in 2012.
He also managed Jamaica and Tranmere Rovers and has appeared as a pundit since hanging up his boots.
Between November 2018 and October 2020 (the period in which close to £200,000 of unpaid debt to HMRC was accrued), the company had a turnover of £441,798.
The Insolvency Service said nothing was paid to HMRC in tax during that period, despite the company filing returns showing what the VAT payments should have been.
An investigation found that not only had the company failed to pay £78,839 in that period but also failed to pay £115,272 in VAT between February 2019 and 2020.
The company ceased trading in January 2020 and it later entered liquidation.
Barnes has previously declared he “doesn’t like dealing with taxes”.
He admitted so to The Telegraph back in 2009 after he saw a bankruptcy order against him rescinded following what he called a “tax oversight”.
Barnes said then: “I don’t like dealing with taxes of course.
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“I just hate not having enough money. Apart from that, I don’t like dealing with bills and never have done. I let my wife Andrea deal with them. I don’t even like opening them. A few times my credit card has been declined when I’ve been travelling abroad.
“Then I have to get creative about paying the bill and have to really root around. That’s much more satisfying than just having it come easily.”
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