[Football] HMRC

[OzMike]

The HMRC are a bunch of legalised con men, they have been constantly chasing me, even over here for 900 pounds in back tax that they say I owe.
My last return just before coming here entitled me to a 3,300 pound refund from VAT.
I informed them that this was the case and made an arrangement for them to take what tax was due from it and let me have the difference.
They agreed, it did not happen and they are still chasing me for the amount, plus interest whilst not giving me the refund that I am due.
On my last visit back I went to the tax office in Brighton with all the information and spent 3 hours there nutting it out and being told that all was good and I should be receiving the balance of the money within the next 6 weeks.
It didn't happen and 7 years later they are still chasing me, 'king rediculous.
They phoned me last year and we went through it all again and they didn't even have a record of my 3 hour visit.
As a result of the call nothing changed and they are still on my case, I did everything right and was looking for a refund of around 2,600 pounds to come my way.
No chance and when I did mention about an interest on the money owed to me I was met with derision.
If this was a public run company and not the government they would have been bankrupt years ago.
They are so incompetent and are always right, in what ever they say and even if you prove them wrong they are still right.

 

[NooBHA]

You may think that but you are wrong or was at that time as I know the amount that Tottenham paid Stevens and how it was done.

Actually, I don't doubt you when you say that this happened BG; however, that was probably one of the Catalysts for HMRC closing ranks on it and I guarantee they never got away with it and that there was a cost to pay by both Stevens and Tottenham. See my earlier post on what HMRC threatened to do with David Beckham and his Advisers and companies. This sets out how serious HMRC were in not allowing that sort of practice to become common.

What you sometimes do is mix some good points with some inaccuracies and when that happens it opens the door for people to shoot down your valid accurate points.

 

[Weststander]

There are other ways of paying people that are completely legal and do bypass some of the standard PAYE/NI rules. Benefits in kind for instance, where an employer provides a service or item that the employee uses outside of work (even partly) can be tax-free (in-house gym for instance) or do get taxed but only the employer pays NI on it (e.g. accommodation, company car). I know that in the past certain player's contract negotiations have included things like a full tank of petrol every other week. All perfectly above board if declared and there is a cash benefit to the employee because they don't pay NI on it.

To clarify for lay people:
Benefits in kind still attract income tax at the highest marginal rate on the individual through their tax coding, with the employer paying employers NIC at 13.8%.
The list of exclusions is tiny, including in-house on-site child nursery, in-house at employer's gym, bikes, relocating home costs capped at £8k, etc. Nothing for a highly paid footballer to get excited about.
HMRC closed various attempts at loopholes many years back.

Image rights paid by the employer club, or originating from them but round the houses, are employment income by virtue of being earnings from employment. They attract PAYE, employees and employers national insurance.

Like you, I believe HMRC's interest is not on run of the mill club earnings and benefits, but on attempted avoidance of the PAYE/NIC system on image rights and similar.

 

[The Birdman]

Where's the tax man when you need him.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Inevitably BG's coincidentally timed thread is going to result in speculation which was meant to be kept off NSC.

 

[Weststander]

Inevitably BG's coincidentally timed thread is going to result in speculation which was meant to be kept off NSC.

No gossip, innuendo or click-baiting was intended by the incredible coincidence OP I'm sure.

 

[Mr Banana]

The HMRC are a bunch of legalised con men, they have been constantly chasing me, even over here for 900 pounds in back tax that they say I owe.
My last return just before coming here entitled me to a 3,300 pound refund from VAT.
I informed them that this was the case and made an arrangement for them to take what tax was due from it and let me have the difference.
They agreed, it did not happen and they are still chasing me for the amount, plus interest whilst not giving me the refund that I am due.
On my last visit back I went to the tax office in Brighton with all the information and spent 3 hours there nutting it out and being told that all was good and I should be receiving the balance of the money within the next 6 weeks.
It didn't happen and 7 years later they are still chasing me, 'king rediculous.
They phoned me last year and we went through it all again and they didn't even have a record of my 3 hour visit.
As a result of the call nothing changed and they are still on my case, I did everything right and was looking for a refund of around 2,600 pounds to come my way.
No chance and when I did mention about an interest on the money owed to me I was met with derision.
If this was a public run company and not the government they would have been bankrupt years ago.
They are so incompetent and are always right, in what ever they say and even if you prove them wrong they are still right.

I'm sorry and I hope you sort it out but that makes me feel like there is some solidarity in shared misery out there. I've paid them something like 40% of everything I've earned outside of PAYE (a spectacularly small figure) so far, not contesting because some of it is later than a Charlie Oatway tackle. But the extra they've suggested is either incompetence or devilment. Good luck

 

[Official Old Man]

In the same way that we all got excited about Kyle Edmund losing in the semi-final of the tennis and he then ships his £800,000 winnings to his home in-
Bahamas.

 

[Rogero]

I fully accept that but what particular aspect of it makes players/ clubs believe they are not liable to declare it and pay the tax as they do any other income. Is it to do with the fact that most players are now private sole traders for tax purposes? I know that when Gary Stevens left us for Tottenham his company Gary Stevens Enterprises were paid by Spurs and his company then paid him.

You have dobbed old Gary in now.That was a secret.

 

[OzMike]

I'm sorry and I hope you sort it out but that makes me feel like there is some solidarity in shared misery out there. I've paid them something like 40% of everything I've earned outside of PAYE (a spectacularly small figure) so far, not contesting because some of it is later than a Charlie Oatway tackle. But the extra they've suggested is either incompetence or devilment. Good luck

Can't wait to see what s**t they kick up about this when it comes to getting my pension sent over.

 

[Weststander]

You have dobbed old Gary in now.That was a secret.

They WERE best mates.

No Christmas cards from Spurs to BG any more either.