Galway GAA set aside €155,000 to clear up tax issues

Galway GAA president Paul Bellew. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Galway GAA have set aside over €150,000 to cover potential tax liabilities with the Revenue Commissioners.

But delegates at next Monday’s annual Galway GAA convention will be told by chairman Paul Bellew that this is the maximum amount they believe they will be liable for and the tax bill may be less than that following an audit.

Galway GAA were unable to sign off on their 2024 annual accounts a year ago because the audit by the Revenue Commissioners was ongoing.

Galway was one of three counties selected by the Revenue Commissioners for audit covering the period 2021-2024 and while the final figure has not been clarified, Bellew will tell delegates that they believe the accrual will not exceed €155,000.

Delegates will also be told that this will conclude any historic tax issues and that all of their accounts are now in order, with Galway GAA posting a surplus of over €500,000 for 2025.

The headline income increases for 2025 are from gate receipts with extra competitions and games resulting in club attendances jumping from €982,482 to €1,242,869.

There is also an increase in the return from inter-county games from €218,486 to €369,245 with the installation of floodlights in Pearse Stadium resulting in an increase in attendances.

Galway’s failure to get to the All-Ireland seniopr final in either hurling or football saw the spend on county teams reduce by half a million euro but there was still an expenditure of over €2.3m on county teams during the year.

Total income for the year was €5,769,052, expenditure was €5,197,003, leading to a profit of €572,049 for the year.

Chairman Bellew will be returned unopposed for his fifth and final year heading up Galway GAA at next Monday’s convention when all the outgoing officers will also be continuing without opposition.