The founder of Matalan has lost a court battle with HMRC over an attempt to dodge a tax bill of up to £135m.
John Hargreaves has been ordered to pay after The Upper Tier Tribunal – the highest court that oversees tax cases – ruled he owed capital gains tax in relation to his £231m sale of shares in the Merseyside-headquartered retailer in 2000.
The retail boss has been in dispute with officials over his tax status for nearly 20 years.
