“Assets were taken — my motorcycle and other possessions — and accounts were frozen” – Mervyn King talks openly about long-running conflict with the tax authorities

In one of the most candid and courageous interviews of his career, darts legend Mervyn King has spoken in raw, unflinching detail about the financial catastrophe that brought him to the brink — losing his possessions, having his bank accounts frozen, and ultimately being declared bankrupt over a £500,000 tax debt that accumulated over two decades.

The 59-year-old, who was once ranked world number one in the BDO and reached a peak of number four in the PDC, sat down with the Tungsten Tales podcast to lay bare the full story of a nightmare that began with a simple — but devastating — misunderstanding, and ended only last month with a long-awaited release from bankruptcy.

The Misunderstanding That Cost Everything

Very early in his career, King believed that what he won was “winnings”, not earnings. “I thought winnings weren’t taxed,” he admitted frankly. “I went away and looked into it and saw how much I owed. I thought, ‘There’s no way I can afford that.’ I assumed I could sort it out further down the line as I started earning more money. But I didn’t sort it out — and that’s my fault. I didn’t have guidance and I didn’t look into it properly.”

It is a distinction that may seem straightforward to those with financial advisers, accountants, or formal employment — but for a professional darts player carving out a career in an era when the sport’s administration offered little in the way of financial guidance, the line between “prize money” and “taxable income” was far from obvious. What began as an honest misunderstanding snowballed into a financial crisis that would consume years of King’s life.

“We did full disclosure and went back 20 years through all my records. By the time they added fines and interest, the amount was impossible for me to pay. So they made me bankrupt. Assets were taken — my motorcycle and other possessions — and accounts were frozen.”

“They emptied my accounts and froze my account twice, which put me in a lot of trouble because I had a lot of direct debits going out which weren’t being paid, so I was incurring charges against them,” he explained. King added: “I looked at the final total and I thought if I don’t find a magic wand or win the lottery, then that’s not getting paid — it’s impossible.”

“Earth-Shattering” — The Moment It All Became Real

King, 58 at the time, was made insolvent at the High Court of Justice in London and revealed he owed over £500,000 to HMRC. The two-time BDO World Championship finalist had racked up around £2 million in career earnings, excluding sponsorships and exhibitions, but much of this was not correctly declared to the tax authorities.

King told SunSport: “Tracey is worried that we’re going to lose the house. But if we do, we do. There’s nothing I can do about that. It’s all down to the official receiver and what he wants to do. I’ll have to deal with him fairly and honestly, so anything he wants to know, he can have.”

Describing the moment he realised the full scale of what he faced, King used one word above all others: “Earth-shattering, really. But it was my choice to speak about it.”

Life Without Darts — and the Road Back

The financial crisis did not just cost King his possessions. It threatened to end his darts career entirely, stripping away the one thing that had defined him for decades.

“No one said I couldn’t play anymore, but that’s how it felt,” he said. “I’ve been number one in the world in the BDO and number four in the PDC. If that suddenly goes, when that’s your whole life, that’s tough.”

King was twice beaten at the last hurdle when attempting to become world champion while in the BDO. In 2002, he lost to Tony David, before being beaten by Andy Fordham in 2004. A move to the PDC followed in 2007, where he would find himself in the latter stages of big competitions there too, reaching the semi-finals of the 2009 World Championship, ultimately losing to the legendary Phil Taylor. To see all of that legacy under threat was, by any measure, a devastating blow.

After losing his Tour Card, King was forced to go back to basics — competing on the Challenge Tour, the proving ground of emerging talent, alongside players young enough to be his grandchildren. “It’s a bit of a Mad Hatter’s room, isn’t it? To be fair, it is crazy and it’s hard work. You have to dig deep,” he said. “On the Challenge Tour you’ve got two tournaments a day — five tournaments in three days. If you go deep in each tournament, the days are very long and very hard.”

The pressure came to a head at Q-School in January 2026, where King’s entire professional future hung in the balance. “It was hard fought, especially on the last day. I thought I was doing okay until I looked at the points table and realised I needed to double my tally. Fortunately, I made the semi-final on the last day, doubled my points, and got my card back.”

Having suffered defeats in his first three matches, last leg wins over Jenson Walker and Derek Maclean helped King make Sunday’s final, before he rubber-stamped his tour card for the next two years with a 6-2 victory over Tyler Thorpe.

A Fresh Start: Released from Bankruptcy

In the midst of his interview, King delivered news that will have brought enormous relief to everyone who has followed his story. “Yesterday I got an email saying that as of today, March 4th, I’m released from bankruptcy. So it’s over. It’s a fresh start.”

“As of today, I am released from bankruptcy. It’s over, it’s a fresh start, and I can start again,” he said. After years of legal proceedings, debt repayments, frozen accounts, and seized possessions, the ordeal is finally over. For a man who has shown remarkable resilience throughout his career, this moment represents something even greater than any darts title — a second chance, earned through sheer perseverance.

A Warning for the Next Generation

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of King’s decision to speak so openly is the reason behind it. This is not a man seeking sympathy or revisiting old wounds for the sake of it — it is a deliberate, generous act aimed at protecting the players who come after him.

“The reason I spoke publicly about it is to help younger players. If it stops even one person ending up in the same situation, then it’s worth it.” King urged players to seek guidance early, pointing specifically to the Professional Darts Players Association: “The PDC have the PDPA and the PDPA have people who can help. My advice is simple — go and see the PDPA. They’ll point you in the right direction.”

In an era where young players like Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are earning previously unimaginable sums from the sport, King’s story is a timely reminder that financial education must keep pace with financial success. The glamour of darts’ rapid growth as a professional sport can obscure the practical realities — that prize money is income, that tax obligations follow earnings no matter the sport, and that silence or ignorance on these matters carries a very steep price.

Still Throwing — and Still Believing

Despite everything he has endured, Mervyn King is not done. “The game is still there. I’m hitting high 90 averages again, so it’s coming slowly. Thankfully I’ve got two years to hopefully find that form again.”

His goals, characteristically, remain personal rather than simply competitive. “Not necessarily goals about winning tournaments. My goals are personal — to get my throw back to being natural again. When everything feels part of you and you don’t have to think about it, that’s when the 100 averages will come. If I can get back to that smooth throw without snatching or pulling, then the big averages will come.”

His motivation has never wavered. “The same as always. I want to be the last man standing at the end of the tournament and say, ‘I’m unbeaten.'”

For a man who has navigated bankruptcy, seized assets, frozen accounts, emotional breakdowns at Q-School, and the relentless grind of the Challenge Tour — all while staring down the prospect of losing his home — that competitive fire burns as bright as ever. Mervyn King has lost almost everything. He got it back. And now he’s back at the oche, throwing again.