Transfer-Fees and V.A.T.

[Gareth Keown]

I really think that in these hard times the government should get its finger outta its arse and start levying VAT (currently now at 20%) on player transfers.... when millions of pounds are there to be had...

other businesses are subject to VAT when they buy goods and services, and staff which are effectively 'bought' from other clubs should be treated just the same...

to stop clubs buying in players from outside the country in order not to pay VAT, the government should levy an equivalent tax, to stop clubs from not paying anything..

the money generated tho small change in national-terms, could still be used to help pay down the national-debt or spent on public-services..

eg. if we buy Andy Carroll for 20m, then Spurs can pay an extra 4m in VAT.... thats just from 1 transaction..

[taimedowne]

And where do you think they would get that £4 million from ? Us long suffering fans. We were one of the 1st clubs along with Ars*nal who said they were going to pass on the VAT increase on ticket prices, where many clubs have just absorbed it. Sky subscriptions will also rise in line with the increase, so even if you watch your football sitting on your arse you will still be being shafted. The Government must be doing ok out of sportl. The tax the players pay must be astronomical. I know they even had to relax the tax laws before we could get the Champions league final as the taxman wanted a huge slice of any money made by the participating players endorsments for the whole year wether they were earned in Britain or not. And Usain Bolt wont compete in Britain as he doesn't care to give 40% of his appearence fee away, and I cant say I blame him.   

[Gareth Keown]

maybe instead, the asking-price for players would have to come down instead.... attendances are declining even before the VAT increase, cos alot of fans attending are cottoning on to the fact that MOST Prem games (outside of Spurs, Ars*nal or Utd games) are utter garvage.... mostly longball, over-violent tackling and very little quality..

and why should footbal-clubs which last time I looked, in this country are commercial business concerns.... the word 'club' is a joke... they are corporations...Why should a leisure-sector corporation that is football... especially Prem football... be exempt from paying VAT on their purchases, when all other corporations have to when theyre invoiced... not to mention Joe Public everytime he goes shopping ??

as for sportsman who have to pay income-tax on their earnings, well that's on a pro-rata basis... if they spend 1 month living here altogether per year, for instance, they should pay 1 month's worth of tax on their annual earnings... thats called justice..

we tend to milicoddle the super-rich and famous in this country a little too much.... here's a thought.... why not make them live to rules the rest of us in Society have to live by ??.... now there's a thought.

PS - what you sais about Bolt giving 40% of his appearance money is not correct.... yo'd have to factor in what fraction of the year he spends in the UK, then tax him on a pro-rata basis... if he's only here for a 1-2 days then thats still LESS THAN 1% of his annual income..