CORONATION Street star Bill Roache owes the taxman nearly £550,000.
His debt is revealed in court papers obtained by The Sun yesterday — weeks after we told he faces bankruptcy again.
They show the actor initially owed £588,015.18 and entered a 2018 agreement to clear it.
The Ken Barlow actor, 91, had until last month to make the full payment.
But the High Court papers obtained by The Sun claim he has coughed up just £41,666.65.
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The popular star has been hit with £14,699 interest payments, and late-payment fines of more than £8,000, both included in the total.
He now faces a High Court fight in March.
We told last month he is facing bankruptcy again after HMRC filled a petition at the High Court.
The debtor is justly and truly indebted to us in the aggregate sum of £546,348.53 being the sum of £588,015.18
HMRC
Fresh details are revealed in the paperwork with the HMRC saying: “The debtor is justly and truly indebted to us in the aggregate sum of £546,348.53 being the sum of £588,015.18 claimed in a statutory demand less the sum of £41,666.65 paid since the date of issue of the said demand.”
Roache, referenced by his full name William Patrick Roache is set to fight the case in the High Court next month.
He is the longest-serving TV star in a continuous role having featured in Corrie since 1960. In December he signed for another year, 12 months on from his last deal worth a rumoured £250,000.
The twice-wed, dad of five’s financial woes date to 1991 when, despite winning £50,000 in a libel action against The Sun, he was liable for £120,000 costs.
He sued his law firm for negligence in 1998, and was declared bankrupt in 1999. Two years later creditors estimated he had £600,000 in unpaid debts.
Tax-avoidance arrangement
In 2012 Roache became a “designated member” of a Cayman Islands-registered company called Twofold First Services LLP.
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It ran a scheme which included claiming tax relief from artificial losses of a land-owning firm.
In 2018, a tribunal ruled it was a tax-avoidance arrangement in a landmark victory for HMRC.
Last night his representatives were approached for comment.
A Corrie spokeswoman previously said bosses were “really sorry to hear of Bill’s financial situation and he remains a much-loved member of the cast”.
