Southend United confirm club's £1.4m tax bill has been cleared

Southend United said the club had paid a tax bill, reported to be £1.4m, owed to HM Revenue & Customs.

The Essex football club could have potentially been closed down by the High Court in a winding up hearing today had the money not been paid.

But a lawyer representing HMRC told an Insolvency and Companies Court hearing that the money had been paid.

In a statement on their website, the National League Side said as well as the money being paid, "funds as working capital" have also been injected to help the club over the coming months.

It added: "The club’s objective is to regain its future as a club within the Football League at the earliest opportunity."

In November 2022, the Essex club was given more time to clear the arrears.

Chairman Ron Martin had previously said the Shrimpers, who dropped out of the Football League at the end of the 2020-21 season, had missed a payment under a "time-to-pay agreement" with HMRC.

The Shrimpers currently sit seventh in the National League.

As part of future plans, they hope to redevelop their existing Roots Hall ground into 502 rental homes, with a new stadium being built at a site at Fossetts Farm.

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