HMRC to investigate footballers' benefits

HMRC is targeting premier league footballers over unclaimed perks they allegedly receive from their clubs.

The High Net Worth Unit has sent questionnaires to leading clubs asking for information on the benefits provided to their employees such as travel and entertainment expenses, company cars, health insurance and childcare.

Information provided to HMRC will then be checked against footballers’ individual tax returns to examine any unpaid tax.

An HMRC spokesperson said: “For benefits in kind, the basic rule is that if an employer provides an employee with anything other than pay, it may count as an expense or benefit, and they will need to check whether they need to report it to HMRC and pay any tax or National Insurance Contributions.”

HMRC has already conducted a number of investigations into football clubs including last year’s probe into Rangers Football Club examining a possible unpaid tax bill of £24m. The tribunal is set to continue later this month.

Tottenham Hotspur’s manger Harry Redknapp is also expected to stand trial in January for allegedly evading tax on £180,000 of his earnings whilst at Portsmouth football club.

AccountingWEB’s tax editor Rebecca Benneyworth previously said of footballers avoiding tax: “If enough noise is made about wealthy footballers avoiding tax somebody in Whitehall will have to be ‘seen to be doing something about it’.”