Ebbsfleet United chief executive Damian Irvine on the size of the tax bill facing the National League South club after their first three games were postponed

Ebbsfleet have revealed the size of the debt they owe to HMRC.

The Fleet were suspended by the National League just two days before the start of the new season, meaning their first three games - including last Saturday’s trip to Slough - were postponed.

The league will review whether to lift their suspension on Wednesday (August 19) but the Fleet need first to pay their outstanding tax bills by 5pm on Tuesday.

“I think that’s around £130,000, something like that,” Ebbsfleet chief executive Damian Irvine told Ebbsfleet United FCtv. “Maybe five or ten (thousand) either side of that, depending on interest and penalties and things of that nature, and that’s a portion of VAT in that as well so it’s combined.

“That needs to be cleared. Payroll for last month has been cleared by the incumbent owners, so things are happening which is encouraging.

“But that needs to be cleared next week, along with other football creditors, which amount to probably another £20,000 or something like that. So, the best part of £150,000, £160,000 needs to be cleared before that deadline. I think that’s a big part of it.”

The Fleet initially indicated in a club statement on July 30 that “directors advise that these will be cleared next week” on the HMRC debt.

On August 4, another statement said that “payroll and the outstanding HMRC debts will be covered and cleared imminently”.

In response to the National League suspending the club on August 6, a Fleet statement then stated “the owners’ letter of response to the league yesterday proposed the HMRC debt would be cleared by the end of August once a full transfer of ownership had taken place and the league in their letter this morning have highlighted that inconsistency in undertakings by the