‘Treating with utmost seriousness’ – Rugby League club quash HMRC Winding Up reports

Championship Rugby League club Halifax Panthers have quickly moved to quash reports that they are facing another HMRC Winding Up Petition.

The Panthers made no bones of their financial situation as they progressed throughout a tumultuous season that had seen them in danger of relegation at times.

Ultimately, they would survive and with relative ease on the field at least. Off the field, matters were somewhat different with the club confirming that they were days away from facing severe action from HMRC.

Early September saw the club confirm that they were at ‘immediate risk’ as they revealed their financial woes, confirming that a £200,000 hole in their finances was endangering their future.

As such, they would face a HMRC Winding Up Petition but they managed to stave it off, providing a major financial update on September 10th that saw them confirm that thanks to the ‘generosity of fans’, they had been able to set the debt.

That statement read: “Thanks to the generosity of the Panthers family, the club can confirm it has settled the remainder of the HMRC bill that was subject to the winding up petition due this Wednesday.

“This has been achieved thanks to a combination of commercial activity, accelerated RFL payments and the huge generosity of the fans and sponsors.”

Just over a month down the line and news of another HMRC Winding Up Petition has broken, something the club have moved to clarify.

Confusion over Rugby League side’s HMRC status

Reports began to emerge in news outlet City AM that the Panthers were again on the wrong side of the taxman with the outlet reporting that they had seen a new petition, filed on Tuesday (22nd October).

The club have now claimed that they have no such knowledge of that but are in contact with HMRC with ‘ongoing dialogue’ between the rugby league club and HMRC.

A post on the Halifax Panthers website titled: “Club Statement: HMRC Winding Up Petition”, read as follows.

“Halifax Panthers are aware of media reports suggesting that HMRC has issued another Winding Up Petition against the club. We wish to clarify that, to date, we have not received any formal notification of such a petition.

“There is ongoing dialogue with HMRC to fully understand their position, and as far as we are concerned, all our obligations have been met.

“We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness.

“Thank you for your continued support.

“Halifax Panthers”