Football is one of the biggest international sports. Successful domestic and international leagues paved players a way to earn decent revenue. Depending on the level of the league, players can earn a hefty amount of money now. They also get sponsorship deals now with numerous international brands. As their bank amount increased, so did their tax rate too.
Every country has a different rate of tax. Depending on their country and club, footballers must pay a good amount of their salary for tax. In this article, we have compiled information on footballers’ tax rates based on the top 5 European leagues.
Tax Rate in European Countries:
Most European countries have the same range of taxes. But depending on their earnings footballers must pay different amounts of taxes. Whereas the earnings differ over the leagues they play.
A player is bound to play if they participate in his national league. France has the highest tax rate in Europe. Their tax rate is sometimes near 50%. Again, if a player plays in a foreign league for a fixed amount of time, he is obliged to pay taxes too. For example, if an English footballer spends over 183 days playing Series A in Italy, he is obliged to pay 23% as tax to the Italian government.
Players also must pay their respective countries from foreign league earnings. Other than income taxes, every player pays random other taxes too. Such as capital tax, business tax, residence tax, etc.
Spanish La Liga:
At present, La Liga is the most popular domestic football event. Fans across the world follow the tournament. Household footballers have to pay up to 47% of their income for playing in the event. Whereas, foreign players pay around 24%. Spanish resident footballers playing in foreign leagues pay 15% of their earnings.
| Income Grade (EUR) | Tax on lower amount (EUR) | Rate on excess (%) |
| Up to 12,450.00 | 19 | |
| 12,450.01 – 22,200.00 | 2,365.50 | 24 |
| 22,200.01 – 35,200.00 | 4,225.50 | 30 |
| 35,200.01 – 60,000.00 | 8,725.50 | 37 |
| 60,000.01 – 300,000.00 | 1,791.50 | 45 |
| 300,000.01 and onwards | 125,901.50 | 47 |
German Bundesliga:
The German football league is one of the most prestigious events. As so, the earning level of players is quite high too. Domestic footballers pay 45% of their income for tax. Whereas foreign players are charged 25%.
| Income Grade (EUR) | Tax Grade (EUR) | Marginal Rate (%) |
| Up to 9,744 | ||
| 9,744 – 14,753 | 0 – 951 | 14% |
| 14,754 – 57,918 | 951 – 15,189 | 24% |
| 57,919 – 274,612 | 15,189 – 106,200 | 42% |
| 274,613 to onwards | 106,200 | 45% |
French League 1:
French residents are subject to a tax of up to 50% of their league earnings. Furthermore, they have to pay a 20% share if they participate in foreign leagues. Whereas, foreign footballers playing in French League 1 are required to pay at most 30%. The league recently reduced the tax rate to entice foreign players
| Income Grade (EUR) | Rate on excess (%) |
| Up to 10,084 | |
| 10,084 to 25,710 | 11 |
| 25,711 – 73,516 | 30 |
| 73,517 – 158,122 | 41 |
| 158,123 to onwards | 45 |
Italian Series A:
The domestic players in the league pay around 43% of their income as tax. Domestic players earning in foreign league pays off 25%. The foreign footballers of Italian series A pay the least tax. Their tax rate is only 23%.
| Income Grade (EUR) | Rate (%) |
| Up to 15,000 | 23 |
| 15,001 – 28,000 | 27 |
| 28,001 – 55,000 | 38 |
| 55,001 – 75,000 | 41 |
| 75,001 and onwards | 43 |
English Premier League:
The Premier League is Europe’s top football league. Most high-class players participate in the yearly event with various teams. English footballers participating in the league pay around 45% of their income as tax. Whereas foreign players of the League have to pay only 20% of their money. As a result, the league became a lucrative way of income very quickly.
Conclusion:
European leagues are some of the best ways for a player to earn good money. But the tax rate is sometimes too high. Players often do special deals with their club to avoid some tax. They also invest in foreign businesses and properties to avoid tax. Let us know in the comments whether you believe the tax rate for European players is justified.
