Even if this was a mistake (which I doubt), it is pretty lousy timing and will only set the rumour mill in action.
How hard is it to pay your crown debts on time, seriously? Nothing you owe HMRC should ever come as a surprise - you know the tax rates and due dates well in advance of when monies fall due. For the revenue to get to the stage where they are issuing winding up petitions, the liability must be quite far overdue.
