GAA club referees may receive part of expenses in vouchers in future

ONE FOR ALL: Club referees may receive part of their expenses in vouchers in future to avoid tax liability. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Club referees may receive part of their expenses in vouchers in future to avoid tax liability.

As Revenue assesses possible tax implications for the match fees paid to officials, vouchers, which would be tax-free, are being considered as a means of ensuring referees don’t lose out.

Whether that will be acceptable to those who had been receiving between €30 to €50 a game remains to be seen. It is believed at least one county has provided fees for 2024 in both bank transfers and vouchers, which has not been received widespread support.

After Mayo, Galway and Wexford were subject to risk reviews last year, there has been some speculation the GAA and Revenue may agree on an audit of all 26 counties over a limited period of one to three years. However, that has not been confirmed.

Mayo have not yet received any word from Revenue about the second voluntary disclosure they made in December. Speaking at last month’s county board meeting, treasurer Valerie Murphy admitted it might not be until the middle of the year that they hear about it.

Chairman Seamus Tuohy is reported by the Western People as saying: “Unfortunately, we’ve had very little communication since convention. We understand that there is communication at this stage between Croke Park and Revenue and basically, we await the outcome of that.

“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can see some light on it. Murphy added: “It’ll be a lot more than weeks. You might be talking six months.”

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed no protocols were broken by Donegal in their presentation of gifts to match officials involved in last Saturday’s Division 1 win over Dublin in Ballybofey.

Goodie bags from a local menswear shop were offered to the five men involved in the game. Three of them were photographed by Donegal GAA receiving them and the image was published on their official social media accounts.

According to the county board, their referees appointment committee chairman Pat Walsh was involved in organising them. Kevin Faloon, Niall Cullen and Eoin Murray were pictured posing with the gifts but match referee Paddy Neilan was not.

The GAA Is not believed to have a code or policy around such presentations. The organisation at national and provincial level have in the past offered tokens of appreciation to referees at the end of a championship or year.

However, counties providing referees and linesmen officiating their games with gifts is a largely unheard of phenomenon and the “Irish Examiner” understand it will be monitored by authorities.