Impact of new FA football agent regulations

Football clubs players and agents can continue to expect scrutiny of their UK tax affairs by HMRC following the entry into force of new regulations from the Football Association of England (FA).

The Football Agent Regulations (FAR) (tinyurl.com/FAagentregs) entered into force on 1 January 2024 delayed from the original implementation date of 1 October 2023 after a number of football agents brought arbitration proceedings in the UK on the basis that they were unlawful on competition law grounds.

Confusion abounded as the January transfer window opened because the FA released an amended version of the FAR on 31 December 2023 while legal challenges to FIFA’s Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) which underpin the FAR continue elsewhere around the world.

While some of the FAR changes that will have the most significant tax impact have yet to enter into force HMRC has been focusing...