Rob Cross Slapped With Five-Year Ban Over £450k Unpaid Tax Bill 1m1467

Former darts world champion Rob Cross has been banned as a company director for five years after failing to pay more than £450,000 in tax.

Rob Cross Handed Five-Year Ban Over Unpaid Tax Bill 122d5o

An investigation led by the Insolvency Service found that Rob Cross withdrew more than £300,000 from his company, ‘Rob Cross Darts Limited’, between March 2020 and November 2023 that should’ve gone to creditors such as HMRC.

As a result, he has been banned from being a company director for five years, until June 2030. The ban prevents him from being involved in the “promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court”.

‘Voltage’ set up the company in May 2017 in order to receive his earnings and winnings from playing darts. He was appointed as director on the day of the company’s formation.

Additionally, Cross took over £400,000 from Rob Cross Darts Limited in the form of a director’s loan by the time the company went into liquidation in November 2023.

The investigation found that the company received more than £1 million of Cross’ earnings between March 2020 and November 2023. £169,500 was also paid into the company by sponsorships, alongside £261,901 from his management.

At the time of liquidation, the company owed £403,896 in corporation tax, £49,071 in VAT, and £12,436 in PAYE and National Insurance contributions. Only £41,936 had been paid to HMRC between March 2020 and November 2023.

The 2018 PDC World Champion has entered into an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA) to repay part of his debts. Cross will make monthly contributions to the IVA, varying on his earnings at darts tournaments.

“Cross’ Company Owed More Than £400,000” f2b4g

Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, spoke in regard to Cross’ case in a press release on Thursday.

He said: “When directors fail to pay the correct amount of tax, it directly impacts the government’s ability to fund vital public services such as the NHS, schools, transport infrastructure, and our national defence.

“Rob Cross’s company owed more than £400,000 in corporation tax alone when it went into liquidation. For more than three years, he withdrew funds from the company which should have gone to HMRC and other creditors.

“This case demonstrates that we will pursue action against directors who deprive the public purse of much-needed funds. The rules apply equally to everyone in business, and we expect all company directors to comply with their legal responsibilities.

“Enforcing these rules consistently is crucial in maintaining a level playing field and preventing companies from gaining an unfair competitive advantage over compliant businesses that properly fulfil their tax obligations.”

💷 Removed hundreds of thousands meant for creditors
📤 Withdrawn £400,000 in director’s loan before liquidation
🏆 Company set up to receive earnings and prize money

👇 Ex-world darts champion Rob Cross banned as a director after his company failed to pay over £450,000 in tax

— Insolvency Service (@insolvencygovuk) June 5, 2025

What Next For Rob Cross? 1k4n1f

Cross is next in action on Friday, as he takes on Andreas Harryson at the Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen.

He enters the World Series event as the second seed, having won the Dutch Masters in Maaspoort back in January.

‘Voltage’ will earn a minimum of £1,750 at the event. The top prize is £30,000 of the £100,000 total prize fund. Should he beat Harryson, he will face either Chris Dobey or Jeffrey de Graaf in the quarter-finals.

The 34-year-old was also part of the most recent Premier League campaign. A seventh-place finish wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the play-offs, but he still managed to pick up £65,000 in prize money.

As well, Cross received a set of golden darts worth £30,000 for his nine-dart finish on Night 5 in Brighton.

His total earnings at ranking events over the past two years, as per the Order of Merit, sit at £506,250.