UK staffing firm collapses into liquidation owing HMRC £742k | UK | News

A UK staffing company has gone into liquidation after owing nearly £750,000 to HMRC. Hartley White Limited, a Norfolk-based firm that provides agency staff, appointed liquidators earlier this month after a winding-up petition was lodged by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over unpaid tax debts. The company, founded in 2013, owed £742,711 including VAT and employee National Insurance contributions, according to the statement of work.

More than 100 people work at the company, which is run by sole director Gary White, according to the latest filings at Companies House. Creditors and members appointed Jeffrey Brenner, of London-based insolvency firm Antony Batty, as liquidator of the company, which is headquartered at the Union Building in Norwich, on March 2.

Liquidation usually means that a business ceases trading and its assets are sold to pay off creditors, as opposed to administration where efforts may be made to save the business or secure a sale.

Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs), where shareholders decide to liquidate a company but do not have sufficient assets to pay creditors, accounted for 78% of overall insolvencies in the UK in February.

Official government data shows the figure represents an 11% month-on-month increase from January, but is 3% lower than the same period last year.

The number of firms falling into administration also rose by almost a third last month, according to the Insolvency Service.

The agency said company administrations rose 30% year-on-year to 156 in February, maintaining the high levels recorded in January, when 152 firms called administrators.

Overall bankruptcies last month were 7% higher than in January, but 7% lower on a yearly basis.

The Express has contacted Antony Batty for comment.