Gary Lineker's financial adviser, Peter McGarvey, died by suicide in September 2015 after experiencing depression stemming from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) classification of a film-financing scheme as tax avoidance. McGarvey had advised wealthy clients, including Lineker, to invest in the Ingenious Media scheme, which offered substantial tax breaks.

Friends of McGarvey told The Mail on Sunday that he became depressed after HMRC, which had initially approved the scheme, later deemed it a tax-dodging measure. McGarvey was found dead in his hotel room in Lima, Peru, four days after arranging for neighbors to witness his will. An inquest at Nottingham Coroner's Court heard that McGarvey had injected himself with lethal drugs.

The circumstances of his death emerged as Lineker and over 100 other millionaires wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham advocating for increased taxation. Last week, critics accused Lineker of hypocrisy, citing a previous appeal he won against a £4.93 million tax bill and his participation in the Ingenious scheme alongside other notable figures such as Sir David Beckham, Ant & Dec, and Sir Bob Geldof.

The Ingenious scheme involved investors becoming directors of a company owned by Ingenious, investing over £100,000 annually towards film funding. Blockbuster films like "Avatar" and "Life of Pi" received partial funding through Ingenious.

HMRC began its crackdown on such schemes in the early 2010s, leading to hundreds of celebrity investors, including Lineker, being informed of the need to repay millions in taxes. Dave Hartnett, then head of HMRC, referred to such schemes as "scams for scumbags" in 2012.

McGarvey, who also advised athletes Paula Radcliffe and David Gower, and former footballer Peter Shilton, felt his professional reputation was being undermined as HMRC sought to recover funds from his clients, with one friend stating it made him appear fraudulent. By January 2015, media reports indicated HMRC had demanded Lineker pay £1.3 million in unpaid tax within 90 days, a demand Lineker later denied receiving.

An audio recording of McGarvey's inquest in June 2017 revealed that the tax adviser had emailed a business partner from Peru the day before his death. Assistant coroner Ivan Cartwright stated that McGarvey appeared to be "giving himself quite a hard time" regarding the quality of past advice he had provided to some clients. McGarvey had also expressed similar concerns to his ex-wife, Sally, according to the inquest findings. Gary Lineker and Ingenious Media have been contacted for comment.