Purplebricks has been served with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
However, the online estate agency says an “admin error” caused the action. It says the issue has now been resolved.
HMRC filed the court petition on Tuesday, according to legal filings.
Meanwhile, Purplebricks said it had already been in discussions with the tax authority. It only learned about the petition after HMRC filed it.
A spokesman for Purplebricks said: “We were surprised by the petition from HMRC. We were in active dialogue on an admin error and only became aware of the filing of the petition once it had been submitted.
“To be clear, our liability for taxes as they are due have been dealt with and the petition is being withdrawn.”
In addition, accountancy firm BK Plus has attributed the issue to an administrative error.
In a letter, it said the “position with HMRC is an administration error and the matter has been resolved”.
Accounts also overdue
However, the petition comes as Purplebricks has yet to file its annual accounts for the year ending March 2025.
The company blamed the delay on the appointment of a new chief financial officer. Nevertheless, it expects to file the accounts in the coming week.
Purplebricks launched in 2012 by brothers Michael and Kenny Bruce with a flat-fee estate agency model.
The business later listed on the London Stock Exchange. At one stage, it achieved a valuation of around £1.3bn.
However, Purplebricks subsequently ran into financial difficulties following its international expansion.
Eventually, Strike acquired the business and its assets for a nominal £1 in 2023.
Entrepreneur Sir Charles Dunstone backs Strike and subsequently became an investor in Purplebricks.
Purplebricks points to turnaround
Despite the latest development, Purplebricks said its new management team remains focused on growing the business.
A spokesman said: “Our new leadership team have made big strides in the turnaround of Purplebricks and we are experiencing growth in all areas of the business.
“We remain fully focused on delivering for our customers and continuing to be the most innovative estate agency business in the UK.”
For its part, HMRC said it only resorts to winding-up petitions after other attempts to recover unpaid tax have failed.
A spokesman said: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we’ve exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers’ money.”
