---
title: "Substantial Increase in Winding Up Petitions at Companies Court"
url: https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/substantial-increase-in-winding-up-petitions-presented-to-the-companies-court/
date: 2022-10-17
modified: 2026-06-02
author: "Winding-up Petition Lawyer"
description: "Post-pandemic, HMRC and other creditors are becoming far more aggressive in recovering unpaid taxes via the winding-up petition process."
categories:
  - "Companies Court Winding Up List"
  - "Debt Recovery"
  - "HMRC Petitions"
  - "News"
  - "Uncategorized"
  - "Winding-Up Petitions"
tags:
  - "Companies Court"
  - "HMRC Winding-Up Petition"
  - "Insolvency"
  - "Winding Up Order"
  - "Winding Up Petition"
  - "Winding-Up"
image: https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screenshot_20190113-183215-1024x489.jpg
word_count: 282
---

# Substantial Increase in Winding Up Petitions at Companies Court

Post-pandemic, HMRC and other creditors are becoming far more aggressive in recovering unpaid taxes via the [winding-up petition](https://lexlaw.co.uk/practice-areas/winding-up-petitions-solicitors-london/) [process](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/what-is-the-process-of-winding-up-procedure/). Our team has noted that the number of hearings in the list has grown remarkably since 31 March 2022 when Coronavirus legislation designed to protect companies from petitions [ceased to have effect](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/insolvency-lawyers-london/post-pandemic-winding-up-petitions-return-to-normality/).

## Surge in UK Winding-up Petitions

There has been an over 80% increase in [HMRC winding-up petitions](https://lexlaw.co.uk/practice-areas/winding-up-petitions-solicitors-london/hmrc-petition-winding-up/) advertised in the London Gazette from August 2022 - September 2022 and an around 15,000% increase since the start of 2022.

Petitions are widely viewed as a last resort to claim back monies owed or to enforce debts including [HMRC](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs) and other court and tribunal judgment debts not paid.

It is clear that as businesses return to normality post-COVID19, unpaid debts are being clawed back from debtors on an increasingly aggressive scale and that HMRC are also now resuming their role of eliminating 'zombie companies' which are building up unsettled UK tax debt obligations.

## Winding-up Threats / Statutory Demands

If petitions are presented and advertised a company's bank accounts will be frozen by their bank(s) and the Company will need to take legal advice and arrange Companies Court representation and possibly to make a [validation order application](https://lexlaw.co.uk/practice-areas/winding-up-petitions-solicitors-london/validation-orders-solicitors-london/).

Directors conduct including [overdrawn loan accounts](https://lexlaw.co.uk/overdrawn-directors-loan-accounts-companies-act-insolvency/) will be examined closely by the Official Receiver or an insolvency practitioner. It is possible to seek to [set aside HMRC winding-up petition](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/set-aside-hmrc-winding-up-petition-statutory-demand-lawyer-advice/)s.

Business owners receiving [statutory demands](https://lexlaw.co.uk/set-aside-statutory-demand-insolvency-legal-advice/) or otherwise threatened with a petition for example via a [winding-up letter before action](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/letter-before-action-winding-up-petition/) should take [immediate legal advice](https://lexlaw.co.uk/winding-up-petition-court-hearing-representation-advocacy-solicitors-london/) to try and [prevent a petition](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/insolvency-lawyers-london/how-do-i-stop-a-winding-up-petition-advice/) being presented (given the severity of the potential [consequences](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/winding-up-consequences/)).

We are experts in [defending aggressive debt recovery winding-up petitions](https://windinguppetitionsolicitors.co.uk/aggressive-debt-recovery/).