Avison Young settles tax bill; HMRC winding-up petition removed

# What happened In July 2026 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) presented a winding-up petition against several UK entities of Avison Young, citing historical tax obligations. Reports put the amount at more than £7.7 million. Following the filing, NatWest Group froze the bank accounts of several Avison Young UK entities, according to Bloomberg.

Avison Young said the action came as a surprise because its finance team had been in regular dialogue with HMRC and had proposed payment dates. The firm maintained the issue did not reflect an inability to fund or pay its tax liabilities.

The immediate outcome is that HMRC's winding-up petition has now been formally dismissed after Avison Young settled all outstanding obligations in full and completed the necessary legal processes.

# Why this matters A winding-up petition is a formal legal step a creditor takes when a company owes £750 or more. If granted, it can lead to a court order that effectively forces a company into compulsory liquidation and may result in bank accounts being frozen. The filing and the subsequent account freezes can disrupt cash flow, client relationships and day-to-day operations even when disputes are later resolved.

For Avison Young, a company operating in commercial real estate advisory and services, the petition briefly created operational and reputational risks. The company's statement stresses the payments were planned and that the dispute did not reflect a broader inability to meet obligations.

# Timeline of key events

• July 2026: HMRC files winding-up petitions against five UK companies within the Avison Young group over historical tax liabilities.
• Shortly after filing: NatWest freezes bank accounts tied to several Avison Young UK entities, according to reporting cited in the original coverage.
• Late July to early August 2026: Avison Young says it had been authorised to clear outstanding liabilities and that the remaining steps to remove the petition were administrative.
• 6 August 2026: Boutique Hotel News reports HMRC has formally dismissed the winding-up petition after Avison Young settled all outstanding obligations in full.

# What Avison Young said The firm said its finance team had been in regular dialogue with HMRC and had initiated payment dates that it believed were acceptable. It described the legal action as a surprise and said the petition's dismissal followed settlement and completion of legal processes. Avison Young stated the matter was never indicative of an inability to fund or pay its tax obligations.

# Related reporting and context A Building article indicated the firm had been authorised by the court to clear the outstanding obligations and expected the remaining steps to remove the petition to be administrative. Other related items in the source set include separate HMRC winding-up actions against other companies, and a later Boutique Hotel News piece noting a recapitalisation deal for Avison Young, indicating concurrent financial and corporate developments within the firm's broader timeline.

# Practical takeaways for readers

• Banking actions (account freezes) can follow filing and create short-term operational challenges regardless of a company's broader liquidity.

# Bottom line Avison Young settled the disputed historical tax liabilities and HMRC's winding-up petition against its UK entities has been formally dismissed. The firm says the matter reflected a dispute over timing and administration rather than an inability to pay tax liabilities.