Athletes’ Commission Submits Budget Proposal to Modernise Tax Supports

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) Athletes’ Commission has today submitted a targeted budget proposal to Government seeking modernised tax measures that better reflect the realities of high-performance sport in Ireland. The submission outlines two key recommendations designed to reduce the significant financial and careerrelated opportunity costs faced by Olympic and Sport Irelandcarded athletes.

Despite Ireland’s growing success on the world stage, many high-performance athletes earn little or no income from their sport. As a result, they cannot access existing tax supports such as the Sportspersons Relief, which was designed in 2002 for a small number of professional athletes in 13 sports. The Athletes’ Commission is calling for these measures to be updated to reflect today’s high-performance system.

Summary of Key Budget Asks

• Align Olympic and Sport Ireland carded athletes with the Artists Exemption, creating a €50,000 annual tax credit that athletes can use during or after their sporting careers. This would directly reduce the opportunity cost of remaining in high-performance sport and encourage athletes to stay resident in Ireland post retirement.

• Update and expand the Sportspersons Relief so that all Olympic sports governed by recognised National Governing Bodies qualify, and so that sponsorship and philanthropy income – now the primary income source for many athletes – can be included where it is wholly and exclusively derived from the athlete’s professional trade.

These measures build on existing legislation and use established definitions under Section 847AA of the Taxes Consolidation Act, ensuring clarity, ringfencing and ease of implementation.

Aifric Keogh, Chair of the Athletes’ Commission, highlighted the importance of this saying,

“Every week, Irish Olympic athletes represent the entire country on the world stage andbring moments of priceless national pride and social cohesion. Government and Sport Ireland support helps this to happen but there are still a significant number of athletes lost to the system because they can’t afford the direct and opportunity costs of placing their lives on hold to represent us all. A measure like this will give tangible help to the young men and women who represent Ireland internationally and will also be another step on the pathway to unlocking Ireland’s full sporting potential.”

Supporting the Athletes’ Commission’s proposal, Peter Sherrard, CEO, Olympic Federation of Ireland, added,

“As an organisation, we see firsthand the sacrifices made by athletes and their families. There is often a perception that high-performance athletes earn significant money, but the reality for most is very different. Many juggle parttime work, rely on family support, or face real financial strain while training fulltime for Ireland.

“The performances and spirit of our athletes lift the entire country. Supporting the Athletes’ Commission’s request is not only the right thing to do, it is also essential if we want to sustain and grow Ireland’s success in high-performance sport.”