A sports management firm with links to an award-winning Altrincham solicitors was named and shamed as a deliberate tax defaulter by HMRC.

McHale Sports Limited, which on its website describes itself as 'an arm of McHale and Co Solicitors', defaulted on more than £120,000 between June 16, 2018, and September 30 the next year.

The sports management firm was fined £54,180 for the issue, which a director said was the result of 'accounting reporting errors'.

And McHale Sports Limited was named and shamed as a deliberate tax defaulter on a list published on November 24 of this year.

Adam Horner, a director of the firm who is also described as the Head of Sports and Serious Injury at McHale and Co Solicitors, told The Messenger the two companies exist as separate entities.

He declined to elaborate on the details of the links between the two companies, which are both based at the same address on High Street and which are both named for founder Andrew McHale.

Mr Horner said: "Unfortunately, accounting reporting errors occurred and as a result, the company's advisors were terminated.

"HMRC have been paid all of the monies due to them in addition to payment of the agreed surcharge and the company continues to trade."

According to the McHale Sports Limited website, it provides a range of services to sportspeople in areas such as contracts and sponsorships.

The clients at the firm include boxers and fighters, football and rugby players, and even members of Team GB.

Under the Publishing Details of Deliberate Defaulters scheme, which came into action in 2010, deliberate defaulters are defined as those who receive fines for deliberate errors in their tax returns, or for deliberate failures to adhere to tax responsibilities.

If these fines involve tax of more than £25,000, or if there is more than one of them, the information is included in a list published several times a year. This information is removed after one year. 

This article was written by Jack Tooth. Jack is the reporter for The Messenger and covers anything and everything from within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.

To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.