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Professional soccer

Almost Three-Quarters of Premier League Clubs Flee to Tax Havens

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Offshore accounts allow wealthy owners to pour untaxed income into teams and foreign players to pay less tax, attracting the attention of HMRC.

Key Takeaways:

  • 14 Premier League teams and five Championship clubs are based in tax havens, as are two Scottish sides and Hartlepool, a League One club.
  • The use of tax havens is not limited to foreign-owned clubs; many clubs based in tax havens remain in British hands.
  • Blackburn Rovers is controlled by the family of Jack Walker through a trust in Jersey, while Wolverhampton Wanderers is owned by Steve Morgan through a company based in Guernsey.
  • Portsmouth is controlled by a company based in the British Virgin Islands, and has been relegated from the Premier League.
  • Manchester United is based in Nevada, while arch rival Manchester City is owned through a Dubai-based company.
  • Birmingham City is 94% owned by a Cayman Islands company.
  • Other Premiership clubs based abroad include Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers, Fulham, Liverpool, Sunderland, and Tottenham Hotspur.
  • The parent company of Scottish club Hearts is UAB Ukio Banko Investicine Grupe, a Lithuanian bank.

Statistics:

  • 14 Premier League teams are based in offshore tax havens (according to Christian Aid's examination of filings at Companies House).
  • 5 Championship clubs are based in offshore tax havens (according to Christian Aid's examination of filings at Companies House).
  • 2 Scottish football clubs are based in offshore tax havens (according to Christian Aid's examination of filings at Companies House).
  • Hartlepool, a League One club, is based in an offshore tax haven (according to Christian Aid's examination of filings at Companies House).
  • Blackburn Rovers is controlled by a trust in Jersey (as cited by Christian Aid's examination at Companies House).
  • Wolverhampton Wanderers is owned by a company based in Guernsey (as cited by Christian Aid's examination at Companies House).
  • Portsmouth is controlled by a company based in the British Virgin Islands (as cited by Christian Aid's examination at Companies House).

Sources:

  • Christian Aid examination of filings at Companies House.

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