Yahoo News Coronation Street star Bill Roache granted three months to settle tax debt
Coronation Street star Bill Roache has been told he has three months to settle an overdue tax debt.
According to the Evening Standard, the order was granted during a specialist hearing on Monday (March 11) at London's High Court, with lawyers for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in attendance. The actor was not present for proceedings.
The HMRC confirmed that the sum of Roache's tax debt — a figure which was not discounted in court — has been reduced after receiving payments.
The Ken Barlow actor was then granted a 12-week adjournment to pay off the remaining debt to the HMRC.
Related: Coronation Street's Bill Roache launches fan event after bankruptcy reports
Retired Insolvency and Companies Court judge Stephen Baister granted the extension on behalf of Jacquille Jarrett for the HMRC, who stated that the three months gave adequate time to "allow for the sale of property".
Judge Baister additionally confirmed that Roache's case would not be heard in court again until June.
The hearing follows on from reports that Roache is allegedly facing bankruptcy for a second time. In January, The Mirror reported that the HMRC filed a petition against the soap star, years after he received a bill over investments made to a Cayman Islands-based company.
Digital Spy has reached out to Roache's reps for comment.
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Roache was previously declared bankrupt over 20 years ago for legal costs after suing a newspaper.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street shared a statement at the time of Roache's second bankruptcy reports, which said: "We're really sorry to hear of Bill's financial situation. Bill has an ongoing contract with Coronation Street and remains a much-loved member of the cast."
The actor extended his contract with the soap late last year, with him set to spend another year on the cobbles as fan-favourite Ken. 2024 will mark 64 years since Roache first appeared on the show, continuing his record as the longest-serving soap star on record.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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