HMRC will potentially get a tax take of £788,900 from the Lionesses’ Prize Money for winning the Euro 2025, say leading audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg.
Robert Salter, a Director at the firm, said: “The Lionesses will be delighted with their win at Euro 2025 for what it represents and the hard work that went into it, but they will have a hefty tax bill to pay to HMRC on their prize money, at a combined total tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) liability of roughly £788,900 for the whole squad.
“Although the Lionesses are not earning as much as their male counterparts, the average per player bonuses of £73,000 each will ensure that all of the squad’s players become liable to an effective marginal tax rate of 47% – 45% income tax and 2% NIC on their income above the £125,140 per annum threshold, meaning they could be paying around £34,300 each in tax.”
He added, “In addition to the tax and NIC payable on the winning bonuses by the players personally, the FA should be liable to employer’s NIC on the prize bonuses, which will cost the FA ca. £255,000 more.
“Many players are also making significant amounts through marketing, appearance fees and image rights, which are also liable to tax. Their earnings from this are likely to increase significantly over the coming months given their success and the ongoing growth in the profile of the Women’s game, meaning HMRC will be getting even more tax ‘wins’ in the future.”
