John Barnes Banned from Directorship After Failing to Pay £190k in Taxes

Former Liverpool and England footballer John Barnes, 60, has been prohibited from acting as a company director for three-and-a-half years after his business, John Barnes Media Ltd, neglected to settle a tax bill totaling £190,000.

Barnes was the sole director of the media representation firm, which went into liquidation in 2023. An investigation by the Insolvency Service revealed that despite generating a turnover of £441,798 between November 2018 and October 2020, the company did not pay any tax during that period.

The disqualification undertaking, signed by Barnes, bars him from participating in the promotion, formation, or management of a company without special permission from the courts, effective from 24th April.

Mike Smith, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, emphasized Barnes’ legal obligation to ensure his company fulfilled its tax obligations. Failure to pay taxes, Smith noted, deprives the government of essential funds for public services like schools, hospitals, and roads.

John Barnes Media, headquartered in West Byfleet, Surrey, owed £78,839 in corporation tax and £115,272 in VAT. When the company folded, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was its sole creditor.

Despite HMRC initiating a bankruptcy petition against Barnes in November 2023, the court dismissed it after officials confirmed he had settled the debt. Barnes, who also played for Watford and Newcastle, earned 79 England caps and later served as head coach at Celtic. Liverpool FC appointed him as a club ambassador in November 2022, a role that involves representing the Reds domestically and internationally.