Accounting for football clubs

We maintain a separate page on Accounting for friendly, mutual, co-operative and community benefit societies.

We also maintain a Business and Industry guide on Sports.

• View more articles from ICAEW on football and sporting clubs

Entertainment, Sport and Media Community
The community provides practical support to chartered accountants within the sector. It offers news updates and technical helpsheets, as well as events and webinars.

Guidance

Accounting for typical transactions in the football industry: Issues and solutions under IFRS
An updated guide published by PwC in February 2024, discussing typical financial reporting challenges faced by football clubs, ranging from player transfer-related issues and stadium leases to how to recognise revenue from various sources, with examples.

Football Supporters' Association (FSA) resources
The FSA publishes resources on setting up and running community owned clubs and supporters trusts including best practice in areas such as finance.

Governing bodies and leagues

Football Association (FA): Financial regulation
FA regulatory information including rules in relation to a club’s financial records. A guide to the different types of legal structure through which a club can operate is also available.

English Football League (EFL): Financial regulation
Information on the EFL's financial regulation of clubs. Includes Financial Fair Play Rules and requirements for clubs with regards to financial records and HMRC debts.

Premier League Handbook
Provides details of the Premier League's financial rules, including those relating to club accounts. These can primarily be found in Section E: Club Finances.

UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations
Rules published by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) which include requirements for the financial statements of clubs.

Tax

Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs)
Information from HMRC on rules and regulations relating to Community Amateur Sports Clubs, including registering and running clubs, taxable income, tax relief and Gift Aid.

Football clubs: payments to intermediaries
HMRC Employment Income Manual covering the payments made to intermediaries (also known as agents) by football clubs in their negotiations with players. Also includes sections on indicators of risk and retention of records in regards to payments.

Help with football agents' fees and dual representation contracts
Guidelines for football agents and clubs, published in May 2024, setting out HMRC's recommended approach to dual representation contracts. Includes advice on audit trails, evidence and documents that should be kept. Also covers the FA's latest Football Agent Regulations, published on 1 January 2024, and employment reporting obligations.

Tax treatment of Association footballers
HMRC Employment Income Manual on the treatment of different types of payment, fees, expenses and bonuses for footballers.

Government publications

Football Governance Bill
UK Government Bill, published on 18 March 2024, which intended to establish an independent regulator for men's football in England. The Bill was halted due to the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the general election on 4th July 2024.

Still ill? Assessing the financial sustainability of football
Research paper commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and published in June 2023. Assesses financial sustainability changes since the authors' previous 2022 paper which identified metrics of financial stress for professional football clubs in the Premier League and EFL. Findings indicate the broader picture of financial sustainability changed little during the period.

Surveys

BDO Professional Sports Goup
Hub from BDO providing insights on the professional sports sector including football. Recent reports include:

• Sports Finance Insights 2024: Football investment survey
• Annual Survey of Football Finance Directors 2022

Deloitte Sports Business Group
Dedicated sports portal from Deloitte. The group produces an Annual Review of Football Finance, analysing business and finance trends for top European divisions and the top four UK divisions. It also publishes the Deloitte Football Money League, ranking clubs by financial performance.

• View a list of articles and books in our collection on football clubs

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.