England players face tax demands

A report in The Mail On Sunday claims that England's cricketers could face a massive demand for tax on perks they get for international matches.

England players get four tickets, including full hospitality, for each home Test and ODI. Over the summer that could amount to as much as 38 days cricket, and with each package valued at around £600 a day, that totals around £23,000 for someone who plays in all matches. As the players are all in the 40% tax bracket, that could leave them facing a tax bill of more than £9000.

It is unclear how far back the Inland Revenue are looking to go, and the players were only made aware of the issue when they received a letter along with their allocation of tickets for the Lord's Test.

It is understood that the Professional Cricketers' Association will be taking the matter up with both the ECB and the tax authorities.