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Celtic still pressing SFA for inquiry


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He wasn't appointed to UEFA but to the ECA which can't do anything about recent events but lobby. And that may be unlikely considering John McLelland used to be its vice-chair so most probably kept them well abreast of certain issues.

 

Thanks for the info. Must admit, I still worry about any influence he has at that sort of level. Like all Tims, he's a sneaky git.

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Tims don't take "No" for an anwer. History has proved that.

 

Perhaps it's time for Rangers FC to take a more stern approach to dealing with that slime.

 

A statement from the club instead of the likes of C1872 would do for starters

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SFA refuses to participate in review into handling of Rangers' EBT use

 

By Chris McLaughlin

BBC Sport

1 hour ago From the sectionFootball

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Ibrox Stadium, home of Rangers

The Scottish FA has written to member clubs advising it will not participate in any independent review into the game's response to Rangers' use of Employee Benefit Trusts.

 

Following court testimony by two former Ibrox directors, its compliance officer will look at the granting of a Uefa licence to Rangers in 2011.

 

The Scottish Professional Football League called for a review in July.

 

That followed a Supreme Court ruling in HMRC's favour in respect of EBTs.

 

More than £47m was paid to Rangers players, managers and directors between 2001 and 2010 in tax-free loans.

 

But HMRC argued the payments were earnings and should be taxable, eventually winning its case after two tribunals in 2012 and 2014 previously found in Rangers' favour.

 

In a letter to member clubs, the SFA said it received correspondence from the SPFL on behalf of all 42 league clubs with "an invitation to participate in the proposed review" and that one unnamed club had also written individually to the governing body calling for the review to take place.

 

Rangers tax case - what does it mean?

Who were the EBT beneficiaries?

"After careful consideration, the board of the Scottish FA has declined the invitation to participate in such a review," the SFA said in its letter.

 

"The image of the game in Scotland can only be damaged further by 'raking over the coals' of everything that has happened in the last six years for a further lengthy period of time.

 

"No-one is complacent or insensitive to the issues. It will be impossible to satisfy every supporter, every club official and every member club.

 

"Nevertheless, the board of the Scottish FA is resolute. It has acted with integrity and in the best interests of Scottish football at all times."

 

The governing body's stance would appear to rule out any football-led review into the way the Ibrox club's use of the tax scheme was handled.

 

However, in the letter to clubs, the SFA also informed that the court testimony of two former directors of Rangers Football Club plc (Oldco) regarding "overdue payables" - in what is known as the 'Wee Tax Case' - "might have implications in the context of the Uefa licence granted in 2011".

 

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster

The SPFL's Neil Doncaster wanted an independent review of Scottish football governance

"On the face of it, there seem to be contradictions between those statements and written representations made at the time," it stated.

 

"In 2011, Oldco indicated there was an ongoing dispute with HMRC, but the evidence in the Craig Whyte [former Rangers owner] trial suggests that Oldco knew by early 2011 that it had no defence to HMRC's claim.

 

"This matter has been referred to the compliance officer for further investigation following receipt of information of a written opinion from senior counsel."

 

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster revealed in July that the league had taken legal advice following the Supreme Court judgement that ruled out any further sanctions on the Ibrox club by the league.

 

The SPFL chairman, Ralph Topping, supported calls for an independent review and said the league would "seek to agree terms of reference with the Scottish FA".

 

A 2013 Scottish Premier League commission had found that Rangers were in breach of player registration rules during the EBT period.

 

Headed by Lord Nimmo-Smith, the commission fined the Ibrox club £250,000 but resisted calls for them to be stripped of titles won during that period.

 

However, following the Supreme Court ruling in favour of HMRC, Celtic said they expected the SPFL to review the 2013 decision that their city rivals "did not gain any unfair competitive advantage".The

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SFA refuses to participate in review into handling of Rangers' EBT use

 

By Chris McLaughlin

BBC Sport

1 hour ago From the sectionFootball

Share this page

Ibrox Stadium, home of Rangers

The Scottish FA has written to member clubs advising it will not participate in any independent review into the game's response to Rangers' use of Employee Benefit Trusts.

 

Following court testimony by two former Ibrox directors, its compliance officer will look at the granting of a Uefa licence to Rangers in 2011.

 

The Scottish Professional Football League called for a review in July.

 

That followed a Supreme Court ruling in HMRC's favour in respect of EBTs.

 

More than £47m was paid to Rangers players, managers and directors between 2001 and 2010 in tax-free loans.

 

But HMRC argued the payments were earnings and should be taxable, eventually winning its case after two tribunals in 2012 and 2014 previously found in Rangers' favour.

 

In a letter to member clubs, the SFA said it received correspondence from the SPFL on behalf of all 42 league clubs with "an invitation to participate in the proposed review" and that one unnamed club had also written individually to the governing body calling for the review to take place.

 

Rangers tax case - what does it mean?

Who were the EBT beneficiaries?

"After careful consideration, the board of the Scottish FA has declined the invitation to participate in such a review," the SFA said in its letter.

 

"The image of the game in Scotland can only be damaged further by 'raking over the coals' of everything that has happened in the last six years for a further lengthy period of time.

 

"No-one is complacent or insensitive to the issues. It will be impossible to satisfy every supporter, every club official and every member club.

 

"Nevertheless, the board of the Scottish FA is resolute. It has acted with integrity and in the best interests of Scottish football at all times."

 

The governing body's stance would appear to rule out any football-led review into the way the Ibrox club's use of the tax scheme was handled.

 

However, in the letter to clubs, the SFA also informed that the court testimony of two former directors of Rangers Football Club plc (Oldco) regarding "overdue payables" - in what is known as the 'Wee Tax Case' - "might have implications in the context of the Uefa licence granted in 2011".

 

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster

The SPFL's Neil Doncaster wanted an independent review of Scottish football governance

"On the face of it, there seem to be contradictions between those statements and written representations made at the time," it stated.

 

"In 2011, Oldco indicated there was an ongoing dispute with HMRC, but the evidence in the Craig Whyte [former Rangers owner] trial suggests that Oldco knew by early 2011 that it had no defence to HMRC's claim.

 

"This matter has been referred to the compliance officer for further investigation following receipt of information of a written opinion from senior counsel."

 

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster revealed in July that the league had taken legal advice following the Supreme Court judgement that ruled out any further sanctions on the Ibrox club by the league.

 

The SPFL chairman, Ralph Topping, supported calls for an independent review and said the league would "seek to agree terms of reference with the Scottish FA".

 

A 2013 Scottish Premier League commission had found that Rangers were in breach of player registration rules during the EBT period.

 

Headed by Lord Nimmo-Smith, the commission fined the Ibrox club £250,000 but resisted calls for them to be stripped of titles won during that period.

 

However, following the Supreme Court ruling in favour of HMRC, Celtic said they expected the SPFL to review the 2013 decision that their city rivals "did not gain any unfair competitive advantage".

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SFA rejects SPFL request for independent review into taxes

 

STEPHEN HALLIDAY

Published: 19:29 Thursday 07 September 2017

 

The Scottish FA has rejected an approach from the Scottish Professional Football League for an independent review of the handling of non-payment of taxes by clubs in the aftermath of the recent and binding Supreme Court judgment against Rangers’ liquidators BDO.

 

The SPFL board, after determining it could take no further disciplinary action against Rangers for the use of Employee Benefit Trusts and other tax schemes during Sir David Murray’s stewardship of the Ibrox club, declared its support for a fresh review.

 

The SFA board has now issued its response, informing all 42 SPFL member clubs it has “declined the invitation” to take part.

 

In a leaked letter, the game’s governing body said the image of the game in Scotland would only be damaged further by “raking over the coals”.

 

The SFA has also revealed that its Compliance Officer is investigating the legitimacy of the Uefa licence the governing body granted to Rangers in 2011 in the light of recent evidence at the fraud trial of the club’s former owner Craig Whyte.

 

At the time of the Supreme Court ruling on 5 July, the SFA had stated that, on the advice of senior legal counsel, there was a “limited chance” of imposing fresh sanctions against Rangers and that no further action would be taken.

 

The lengthy legal proceedings known as the ‘big tax case’ were concluded when the Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal by BDO over Rangers’ use of EBTs. The court found in favour of HMRC that income tax and national insurance contributions should have been paid on the trusts which Murray’s group of companies used to pay employees from 2001 to 2009.

 

HMRC had previously lost its initial appeal at a First Tier Tax Tribunal in October 2012, a judgment which was then upheld by an Upper Tier Tribunal in July 2014. HMRC made a third appeal, to the Court of Session, which ruled in the taxman’s favour in November 2015.

 

BDO, acting on behalf of creditors in the liquidation of RFC 2012 (former The Rangers Football Club plc) was given leave to make a further appeal to the Supreme Court which heard the case over two days in March this year. The outcome had no material bearing on the current owners of Rangers in the aftermath of the club’s financial collapse in 2012.

 

It has seen renewed calls, notably from a number of supporters groups, to consider the possibility of stripping honours won by Rangers during the years when EBTs were used.

 

An independent commission chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith in February 2013 decided the club had gained no competitive advantage when they breached league rules by making undeclared payments to players.

 

In the leaked letter from the SFA to the SPFL member clubs, the call to participate in fresh action is firmly rejected.

 

“After careful consideration, the Board of the Scottish FA has declined the invitation to participate in such a review,” the SFA said in its letter.

 

“The Scottish FA is currently examining the detail of what was said in the most recent court cases and you can be assured that the matter will be dealt with by the Compliance Officer if there is any suggestion that the organisation has been knowingly misled in any of the matters that came before it.

 

“However, the image of the game in Scotland can only be damaged further by ‘raking over the coals’ of everything that has happened in the last six years for a further lengthy period of time.

 

“No-one is complacent or insensitive to the issues. It will be impossible to satisfy every supporter, every club official and every member club. Nevertheless, the Board of the Scottish FA is resolute. It has acted with integrity and in the best interests of Scottish football at all times.”.

 

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/sfa-rejects-spfl-request-for-independent-review-into-taxes-1-4554073

 

And here was me thinking that the SPFL wants to shut the door ... now it transpires that they may not let it rest.

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