Mayo GAA set to face probing questions over tax liability at convention

Mayo GAA faces questions from its club delegates at tomorrow (Wednesday) evening's rescheduled annual convention on the extent of its tax liability to the Revenue Commissioners.

The issue has been a big talking point across the county since confirmation was forthcoming that the organisation's historical financial accounts are under close scrutiny.

The county board made a €119,778 voluntary disclosure to Revenue last year pertaining to legacy issues around payments to Cúl Camp coaches in 2018 and 2019 and that situation resulted in the publication of the 2024 accounts being delayed.

However, Revenue has since requested further information in respect of payments, understood to be both incoming and outgoing.

Consequently, delegates are anxious to be told of the bill the board is likely to incur and how the situation could impact on the future development of Gaelic games in the county.

However, the organisation appears to be in a healthy financial position as it prepares to deal further with what can only be described as a setback bordering on a crisis.

Mayo GAA's income hit a new high of €4.075 million in 2023, up from €3.99 million in 2022, despite the county team failing to advance past the quarterfinal stages of the All-Ireland SFC series in both years.

In 2019 it had just €58,000 in the bank but by 2023 its cash total had risen to €2.6 million, including €1.12 million that is held with GAA Central Council, according to its accounts.

Key factors in achieving this turnaround was a sharp rise in gate receipts and a significant reduction in team expenses.

Mayo’s total income from gate receipts increased to €782,000 in 2022 and €695,000 in 2023. That compared to €194,000 in 2016 and €223,000 in 2017.

According to a report in the Irish Independent, the county board has changed how it reports gate receipts since 2019 and no longer includes the National League — a share of which it receives from Croke Park — in its accounting of gate receipts.

When contacted by the newspaper, the county board declined to respond when asked whether it had concerns that the change from taking cash at the stiles pre-Covid to a post-Covid move to more online ticket sales explains the recent boost in gate receipts.

A series of detailed questions was sent to the Mayo county board regarding the accounts to which it declined to respond, referring instead to a general statement it had released last week about the ongoing Revenue audit.

“At this time I would not have any more information for you,” said a spokesman.

There have been other significant rises in incoming funds coming too, according to the accounts.

Since 2012, royalties totalling just over €100,000 between 2012 and 2019 were recorded. Between 2020 and 2023 that figure jumped to a total of €897,000, half of which came in 2022. The county board also declined when asked to explain why royalties had risen so sharply and to what they referred.

The accounts also revealed that team administration expenses — which includes all of the county’s teams at different age levels in hurling and football — hit an all-time high of €1.7m in the disappointing 2019 season. That has since fallen to €1.1m in 2022 and €1.2m in 2023.

In 2019 mileage paid to players on the county’s senior football team had shot up to €697,000, according to the accounts. That compared to €373,000 mileage payments in 2016, when the senior team lost to Dublin by just one point in an All-Ireland final replay played in October.

Mileage payments to senior panel players has since fallen to €169,000 in 2022 and €181,000 in 2023.

The county board is also spending significantly less on catering and nutrition for the senior team, paying out €97,000 in 2022 and €108,000 in 2023 compared to €222,000 in 2019. It had paid more than €300,000 for catering for the players in the big All-Ireland years of 2016 and 2017.

When asked, the Mayo county board declined to explain why the 2019 figure for team expenses was so high.

A controversy blew up around the county’s finances in 2020, after which a Mazars report into its finances had recommended improvements in numerous areas including gates, ticketing, sponsorship, fundraising activities and expense claim management.