Refs warned over expenses claims

GAA referees have been warned not to submit false expenses claims.

The Gaelic Match Officials’ Association (GMOA) have sent a letter to their members informing them to have their expenses forms co-signed by their divisional or county board treasurer.

The development comes as anecdotal reports have emerged about county boards coming to verbal agreements with referees regarding out-of-pocket expenses.

It is 122 days since the GAA said they were continuing to hold talks with the Revenue about procedures for the taxation, if any, of referee match payments.

At that time in late February, Croke Park confirmed the GAA’s existing arrangements for payments to referees would apply.

While those discussions are still taking place, there are suggestions some county boards have encouraged referees to file their expenses as mileage. However, based on taxation advice they have received, the GMOA advised their members to be cautious of such reassurances.

In the letter, the organisation’s secretary Alan Nash stated: “Should any county board official ask any referee to knowingly submit a false expenses claim, you should refuse to do so.

“Once the county board get audited the person who submitted the mileage report would be the one in trouble as the county board will claim they paid the expenses in good faith and the individual who submitted the false claim would be the person who would face the full rigours of a Revenue investigation.”

Nash added referees should request an administrator to endorse their expense forms. “That way should the Revenue Commissioners have any issue with claimed expenses each individual referee can say that his or her expenses were signed off on by either the divisional or county board treasurer,” he said.

Nash also stressed the GMOA have yet to see any written documentation to suggest such verbal assurances is GAA policy.

Several referees are anxious at the prospect of having to proffer their Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers to the GAA.

Regarding requests for PPS numbers, the Revenue informed the Irish Examiner: “Where a new employee does not supply his employer with his PPS number, the employer is obliged to calculate the tax due on the employee’s earnings at the higher rate with no tax credit, under the terms of Regulation 22 of the Income Tax [Employers] [Consolidated] Regulations 2001.”