HIGH COURT RULES IN ATHLETES' FAVOURThe AAA is pleased to report that the Australian High Court has unanimously ruled that agent/management fees paid by athletes are deductible as a business expense even when they are paid in connection to the negotiation of an employment contract with a new club. Brendon Gale, Chief Executive of the AFLPA and Member of the AAA Board issued the following statement:
“We are particularly pleased that after a number of years of prosecuting our case on behalf of our members before all relevant authorities, that the High Court has ultimately determined that our arguments had merit and that our case should prove successful. This decision will provide a positive benefit to all our members and indeed all other professional sports people.”
“Importantly I would also like to thank our legal team and their advisors for their successful advocacy and the ATO for accepting these matters as test cases. Today's outcome would not have been possible without the assistance of the ATO in agreeing with us that the tax law required clarification in this very important area. I would also like to thank both David Spriggs and Mark Riddell for their involvement.” Tony Dempsey, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and Legal Counsel of RUPA, stated:
“This is a positive outcome for professional athletes across the board in Australia. Athlete Associations in Australia have long held that a strong connection exists between the charging of management fees and the attaining of income, so this represents a big win. This decision will give clarity to what has been a very grey area of tax law for some time.”
Article from the Australian "Footballers take on tax office in court over fees" (see article)
Article from The Age discussing the AAA policy regarding how athletes can help responsible drinking and good eating progams (see article)
Article from The Age quoting AAA's submission to the Independent Sports Panel
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/11/27/1227491737828.html Braham Dabscheck article about Dennis Tutty, Read about the athlete who took on the NSWRL's transfer system and won, securing rights for all future Australian athletes. Download Article (PDF) The Problem with the Image of Athletes AFLPA article about the need to change privacy laws to harmonise Australian laws regarding Image Rights with those in the rest of the developed world.Download Article (PDF) Interesting Blogs
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