HomeFWJ TakeawayWinding up petitionsDefending a winding up petitionWhat to do if you receive a winding up order from HMRC?

A winding up order for non payment of taxes can be frightening. But there are always things which can be done - negotiated settlements, company restructuring, disputing the claim, seeking business funding or applying for a validation order as just some of the choices. Let our experts help.

If you have received a winding up order from HMRC then you need to take quick and immediate action.

  • HMRC are very experienced in the HMRC winding up process and know all of the “ins and outs” of the HMRC winding up procedure. As soon as you have been served with an HMRC winding up petition, you need to deal with it. Do not ignore it.
  • If you ignore a petition, then 7 working days after it has been served on the company, the winding up petition can be advertised in the London Gazette and it then becomes public knowledge, this can be disastrous for a company and essentially lead to it going out of business.

We recommend you take urgent legal advice as soon as you receive an HMRC winding up petition.

This is even the case if you do not believe you can pay the entirety of the debt. There are always other options available to recipients of winding up orders including taking restructuring advice or looking at other insolvency processes which are less dramatic than a liquidation such as

It might just be that you need time to renegotiate or negotiate an instalment plan with HMRC and we can also help you with this process. Whatever you do, if you do receive a winding up order from HMRC the key is not to panic but to take early legal advice. Contact our team of experts now and we can help you.


Our team of winding up petition solicitors at Francis Wilks & Jones are the best in the country. We specialise in acting for companies facing a winding up order by HMRC. Our advice is fast, effective and highly effective. Contact one of our team of winding up petition lawyers now for your initial. Whatever your winding up order needs, we are the experts to help you.

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