Footballers Targeted by HMRC in Tax Scandal

Former Footballers Accuse HMRC of ‘Financial Grooming’ Over Investment Scandals.

A growing number of former Premier League stars have come forward to accuse financial advisers—and by extension, HMRC—of what they call “financial grooming,” claiming they were manipulated into failed investment schemes that left them owing millions in tax penalties.

At a packed meeting in Westminster, a new all-party parliamentary group on investment fraud heard emotional testimony from players and campaigners. The session included appearances from former England internationals Danny Murphy and Brian Deane, who have become vocal about the toll these schemes—and HMRC’s pursuit—have taken on their lives.

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Murphy, who now works as a pundit for the BBC and TalkSport, shared his own experience of a £2.5 million tax bill after investing in a film scheme designed to offer tax relief. In 2019, he lost a court case over £1 million borrowed from Coutts bank to fund the investment.

“I couldn’t think of a more brilliant place than a football club to find victims,” Murphy told the panel, describing how players would seek financial advice from older teammates or managers, only to be introduced to predatory advisers. “It’s not footballers, it’s young men being manipulated. People can’t understand why you got into this position. It makes you feel silly—it adds to the shame. People have been through hell and back. Some are still there.”

Murphy, who insists there was no intention to dodge taxes, characterised the schemes as exploitative, saying, “What occurred was grooming.”

Brian Deane echoed Murphy’s sentiment, revealing that the aftermath of bad financial advice pushed some former players to the brink of suicide. “I watched it break friends’ marriages,” he said. “It affects your health and wellbeing.”

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The campaigners argue that footballers—while wealthy—were taken advantage of during their careers and have been unfairly targeted by HMRC. They compare the situation to the Post Office Horizon scandal, with some saying HMRC lacks the capability or will to chase the real criminals behind such schemes.

“It’s a huge injustice,” said Carly Barnes-Short, co-chair of the Investment Fraud Committee. “These young men were exploited by those they trusted to look after their money.”

Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, agreed: “This is financial grooming.” He argued that HMRC should focus on the fraudsters, not the victims. Lord John Mann went further, questioning HMRC’s logic in chasing losses on “notional income” from hypothetical investment returns. “It isn’t real money,” he said. “It’s potential money. This is what they’re hounding people over.”

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Meanwhile, many observers point out the uncomfortable contrast: while these former athletes face aggressive enforcement, tech giants like Amazon and some ultra-wealthy individuals often seem to navigate the tax system with far greater leniency. The issue isn’t whether footballers should pay their fair share—they should—but whether justice is being applied fairly across all sectors of society.

An HMRC spokesperson responded, “We sympathise with people who may have lost money by entering such arrangements and handle these on a case-by-case basis, taking the wellbeing of all taxpayers seriously. Anyone who is worried about a tax liability should contact us as soon as possible to talk about options.”

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This is not a question of whether footballers are above the law—they're not. But it's essential to view their stories not just through the lens of fame or finances, but as cautionary tales of trust abused and systems that failed to protect. While it's true these men were well-paid, they were also young and often ill-equipped for the financial world they were thrust into. As calls grow for reform, we must hope that justice becomes more balanced, targeting the architects of fraud rather than the manipulated. Ultimately, these issues demand a human response—not just a financial reckoning.