Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
Former footballer John Barnes has been disqualified as a director for failing to pay over £190,000 in VAT and corporation tax for his company, John Barnes Media Limited. The company went into liquidation in April 2023 after an HMRC winding up petition.
Between 2018 and 2020, Barnes’ company failed to pay £190,000 in corporation tax and VAT, with HMRC as its only known creditor. Barnes has been banned from acting as a director for three and a half years.
Key Points:
- John Barnes disqualified as a director for failing to pay over £190,000 in VAT and corporation tax for his company
- Company went into liquidation after HMRC winding up petition
Former England and Liverpool footballer John Barnes has been disqualified as a director after failing to pay £190,000 in VAT and corporation tax. Insolvency Service investigations began after the footballer’s John Barnes Media Limited company went into liquidation in April 2023 after an HMRC winding up petition. Barnes, whose business was based in Byfleet in Surrey, has been banned from acting as a director for three and a half years.
Mike Smith, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: ‘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.’
