I know there’s been widespread criticism of many in the media for not confronting former Rangers EBT beneficiaries, now working alongside ‘proper’ journalists, for not holding ex-players to account for the enormous sums of money diverted from the tax man. I’ve spoken to a few journos who have tried to make headway on this story but been denied comment, access, or even contact details from colleagues.
The defensive line on not discussing this subject was originally “My EBT was legal and is a private finance matter”. This changed last year when these EBTs were found to have broken tax laws at appeal, when the line was changed to “This is a private finance matter which is subject to appeal”.
All fair enough. A consequence of the original legal status and ongoing appeals is that no one has broken ranks on those responsible for imposing this state of affairs on a football club, the tax man, or individual players.
The Daily Record today report HMRC are pursuing players for the payment of tax on EBTs. My understanding is that many (if not all) players received a letter from the “Club” indemnifying them from tax. Watch how quickly you’re told “Not this club, it was the club that died”.
You’re going to need patience for this one, it could have years to run, but I expect ranks will break eventually.
You can read subtext, can’t you? The Times report today that Celtic and the SPFL have written to the Scottish Government telling them to keep their noses out of the running of football clubs. This was after the Government responded to pressure from Celtic to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football’ Act by hitting them on a subject they knew would cause conflict with some fan groups.
Push on the Offensive Behaviour Act and watch what happens with the Fan on the Board issue which you enjoy so much but seemed to have lost momentum.
Politics is a dirty business. All this to deflect criticism of an ill-conceived, ineffective, bad law, instead of just repealing it, which will happen as soon as we no longer have a majority government. Anyway, Don’t Blame Me…….
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COYBIG
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 31ST MARCH 2016 12:28 PM
BASHI-BAZOUKS
Don’t be a stranger,welcome back!
BRTH is at 1047,page 15
Looking forward to the ‘struggling to reach 20k’ KevJungle myth being put to bed on Saturday lunchtime at a boisterous Paradise;)
Sorry Kev, see you in the 2016 Jungle in August ;)
HH
PAUL67
We can whistle for a repeal then!
No chance of the SNP not keeping their majority,sadly.
Hope this EBT business doesn’t impact on Neil McCann. Poor fella was duped. An honest bloke who doesn’t stand for cheating.
TRADITIONALIST88
I thought the game was on Sunday so booked my train back home for Saturday. At least that way I could watch it on the telly.
Nope.
My train is at 1340. Eeeejit…
Enjoy the match,bud!
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
“We can whistle for a repeal then!
No chance of the SNP not keeping their majority,sadly.”
Democracy has a lot to answer for por cierto. :)
Good Afternoon.
Completely off-topic, I am gutted to hear that Ronnie Corbett has died. He’ll be long and fondly remembered.
Meanwhile, it was a busy day in Clumpany Towers yesterday with three new pieces.
One about a suggestion that there is no racism in Scottish football.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/sweeping-statements/
One about ‘IT’ (the most amazing thing in the universe).
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/it/
And one about Supporters’ Groups and improving the governance of our game.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/implementing-the-fans-manifesto/
CQN Saturday Naps Competition
Lads, for those in the CQN Naps competition, all outstanding results are updated here :
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/assessing-defenders-and-graduating-talent/comment-page-12/#comments
Cheers, fleagle1888
BASHI-BAZOUKS
Welcome (back) – don’t be a stranger!
HH jamesgang
THETIMREAPER
Good point!
Maybe some of them will even leave the country,maybe buy a wee chateau in France.
I live in hope…
SNP are behaving like a Nationalist Party shock.
Who? In their right minds, thought they’d get anything other than a very heavy police influence in society, when they vote a Nationalist government into power?
I despair of my fellow Scots voting for these people.
POR CIERTO
Aye,indeed. The people have spoken,etc…
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 31st March 2016 12:36 pm
TRADITIONALIST88
I thought the game was on Sunday so booked my train back home for Saturday. At least that way I could watch it on the telly.
Nope.
My train is at 1340. Eeeejit…
Enjoy the match,bud!
===============
I made the mistake a few years ago of booking flights, accomodation, tickets, transfers the lot for a Euro away match and forgot to request the necessary time off work until like two days beforehand…lucky I had some flexible colleagues..still paying for it mind:)
HH
If the basis of the Celtic’s criticism of moves towards greater fan involvement is that one size fits all legislation is unworkable then I totally agree.
Like it or not Celtic is a PLC and is therefore owned by it’s shareholders. Many of whom are fans of course. You can’t just steamroller a fans representative into influence in a business like that. It would need a vote from shareholders and then that person(s) would be the one liked by most shareholders and I’m afraid accusations of them being a DD/PL stooge would be rife.
Interesting article on the BBC today re Euro referendum. If UK voted to leave all of our EU players could be ineligible and will need a work permit. That’s one way to get rid of Derk.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35919247
you and trains bobby??????????????? ya dafty
I have to laugh when I read the contention that “all” we have to do to get rid of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act is “vote for someone else.”
It’s a lie. I’ll state that now, for the record. It. Is. A. Lie.
Labour and the Tories and others can posture on this issue all they want. The only thing these people give a monkeys about are votes. And when the SNP paints them as standing up for the rights of bigots you wait and see what happens to their “support for a repeal.”
I’ve crunched the numbers on this. I’m not pulling them out of my backside. This law has OVERWHELMING public support. I’m not saying it will shift votes – it’s not an issue on which any person should base their decision over who runs the country – but it doesn’t have to. The threat of it will be enough.
Anyone who relies on Labour or Tory promises to “end this” is kidding themselves on. The political class will keep this in effect as long as it is popular, because it keeps them all from being painted as “soft on sectarianism.” I know this for a fact.
There are only two ways that law is defeated and repealed.
1) To fundamentally and irrevocably shift public opinion against it. Good luck with that one. Especially as a lot of people are trying to turn it into a party political matter when it’s a lot more complicated than that, and is seen by all the parties as a means to an end … an electoral end.
2) To challenge it successfully in the European court as a clear violation of civil liberties. I have always been of the belief that that’s the way to end this thing, and nothing I’ve seen convinces me otherwise.
As to getting a minority government … you’ll be waiting a long time.
Bobbio
I feel your pain.
The Wee Mhan’s footie is a stenhousemuir 11-12 on Sat.
I’ll need Jobo’s teleporter to get me to Paradise!
HH jamesgang
I have to admit, the park at Hampden does have me worried for the game against Sevco.
It was in poor condition for the Scotland game. What kind of condition will it be on the 17th after Hibs and Dundee United will have played on the surface the day before.
In our last game against a poor Sevco side we only managed to win 2-0 because the pitch was so poor. It really is a leveler.
The stars are aligning for them. Who would have thought?
Well, the sooner the SNP lose Government the better. The Fitba Act, The Named Person Act, The Love of Perverts etc
We need a King, or if not a monarch, a Scottish Conservative Government. Or anyone who can support tradition and culture in Scotland.
.
You’re going to need patience for this one, it could have years to run, but I expect ranks will break eventually.
..
Paul67 I remember sitting in Blantyre at a Q&A Hosted by Your good self.. Phil and the Old Lawyers Dude (Soz)..
The Panel was asked the Question..How long do You think this shambles (Eating Jelly and Ice Cream)..sort of..could Run for..?
I Was Sitting with Your Dad..TBJ and SFTB..l think l answered the question before any of the Panel even began to think how to Answer..
12 to 14 Years what l shouted out..Probably the Only serious words l Uttered All Night..;-)
Summa of AreWeThereYetCSC
Big Peat Of Islay,
Like Idi Amin maybe?
Politics is indeed a dirty business. I’m glad I can’t bring myself to vote for the SNP but who has a chance of replacing them? Nobody; certainly nobody I could in conscience vote for. The SNP can do as they like- AND DO SO, to Scotland’s detriment. They play on Scotland’s innate conservatism.
No republic, if they win the referendum (and I know we weren’t voting for parties but they would have been the majority party in any Holyrood Government). Certainly no socialist republic. We would still have been anchored to England and the pound. So, no real fiscal autonomy.
BIG PEAT OF ISLAY
Yes I’m all for Scottish tradition, the Jacobite one preferably;y por cierto
..
A Q&A about 4 Years ago..
Ronnie Corbett RIP
fork’andlesCSC
HH!!
Afternoon Celts
What a tragedy eh
Barry Fergushun could be bankrupted due to EBT sleight of hand.
That would be a shame.
Hopefully at some time in the near future, the DR will run a special feature by Keef Jackshun.,..it will probably be something like this: BONNY BARRY BROUGHT TO BANKRUPTCY….BY BIGOTS.
Aye…what goes around comes around.
Fate, Destiny, call it what you will….Id call it Justice:)
EBT Mob GIRUY
HH
We are privileged to have that august journal, The Daily Record, in our midst.
This government may not be everyone’s favourite hue but if it collects £24bn of evaded tax, then it should be due the credit it deserves for this action.
Even better, we can listen for the squeals from our ex-opponents. Maybe they could sell their collection of medals (not won under any sporting advantage, of course) to fund their tax bills.
Anybody seen my teleporter?
Fan democracy?
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/mar/31/fc-united-manchester-broadhurst-park
JAMESGANG
As always,priorities correct.
Well done,bud.
TRADITIONALIST88
Dodged a bullet there,bud. Pity it was waiting for your return.
It’s only borrowed.
I’ll even move the seat forward back and readjust the mirrors!
HH jamesgang
Bobbio
;-)
HH jamesgang
Cmon Hector, stick the boot right into those cheating bigot blaggards.
Justice.
Lets see them squirm Hector.
HH
A couple of comments on that Daily Record article.
First, there is a very subtle exposure of a truth in that article that flies in the face of previous reporting on the issue, and that is the wee statement from the quoted man from Thomas Egger where he says that if the Supreme Court rule in favour of HMRC in the Big Tax Case then the players and other recipients will be liable for the tax.
Now that is an interesting wee statement because previously it was clearly stated that Rangers PLC would be liable for the tax and that if it weren’t paid by them then the players would somehow escape having to put their hands in their pockets.
I have never understood that point of view and I know that many ex players down south have had to stump up re EBT tax so I could never see where the MSM were coming from when they said that the likes of Barry Ferguson and co would escape paying.
Now, however, it looks as though the players are going to cop for the tax win or lose.
As Paul points out, many of the same players have an indemnity in terms of potential tax due from Rangers PLC.
Of course Rangers PLC were their employers. It was with Rangers PLC they signed a contract. It was Rangers PLC who paid PAYE and NIC at the appropriate time. It was Rangers PLC who applied for footballing licences. It was Rangers PLC who signed transfer contracts with their previous and future employers.
But Rangers PLC are not “Rangers Football Club” and as Paul says the current company that claims to be “Rangers Football Club” will not be offering to honour any indemnity held by a former player.
However, there are a whole host of potential fall outs from this.
First, normally when any professional firm has a client sign up to an aggressive EBT type scheme, the client signs and acknowledges that there is a risk in taking on any such scheme and they also acknowledge that they have been advised that there is every possibility that Parliament might well close the tax loophole retrospectively and — most importantly of all — that the client has no right to sue the tax adviser or accountant in the event of that happening.
I wonder if the football agents concerned, who advised their clients to accept payments by way of an EBT scheme, had the good sense to have their clients sign such a disclaimer in their favour?
If not, then that could make for an interesting position.
Secondly, if we get one or more of these players saying that they would not have signed for Rangers if they had not been paid through a tax free scheme, then when taken together with the evidence of Sir David Murray at the FTT, this makes a mockery of Nimmo Smith’s no sporting advantage comments.
Third — I wonder where the PFA will stand in all of this? If any of the players concerned were and are members of the PFA at the time, will there be a move by the PFA to suggest that as these are “footballing debts” – an indemnity is clearly a contractual obligation between a club and a player — there is a liability on the same club if it still exists.
Fourth– is there any possibility that some of these players were assured by former directors of Rangers PLC that there would be no tax to pay? Might they have been induced into accepting EBT related contracts, in which case might there be some players who would feel that they have every right to seek personal redress against former directors – and possibly even managers – who potentially mislead them in relation to tax matters?
Who knows?
But the sums concerned are sufficiently large in some cases to make this an interesting watch as some people will feel very aggrieved at having to pay taxes they were assured were not their responsibility.
Oh and by the way — you don’t necessarily just pay the tax. There are also penalties and interest to consider.
Jobo
J. Titor borrowed your Teleporter next week. Don’t you remember?
Justice for all football supporters.
Unmask these financial dopers and subject them to full scrutiny.
And take all their big cars and rolexes and auction them off….public sale.
Tax cheats should be prosecuted.
Football cheats should be banned for life.
HH