What do we think of this lads?

Referees in Longford are threatening strike action as are Wexford. In fairness do they expect someone to go out and ref games for half of what they are currently getting?

It's a farce. Ref's across the country will go on strike and they'd be right to. It might be a quiet year at club level so!!

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 28/02/2012 11:43:46    1118908

They HAVE withdrawn their services

MidlandBlowin (Longford) - Posts: 66 - 28/02/2012 12:00:19    1118920

Why not pay them a fixed fee per game, and tax them like a normal self employed person?

If a referee gets €50 per game, and does for example 120 games in a season - thats €6,000.

Again for example, if you had a nice teaching post you could be earning a nice little extra salary each year, particularly over the summer. People in such a scenario should be forced to declare this income in the same way as people with additional income do, rather than stuffing the cash down the back pocket.

ringo (Wexford) - Posts: 384 - 28/02/2012 12:06:10    1118929

Right to strike in my opinion. €50 is not that much to be honest band you cant expect anyone to take 3 hours (travel + match time) for €20 .

Stan.D.Hogan (Galway) - Posts: 152 - 28/02/2012 13:01:12    1118974

Ah yes, typical GAA. Pick the easy one and the one they can admit to, meanwhile turn a blind eye to the merry-go-round carnival that is managerial payments.

Referees are right to go on strike, they dont get much for what they get in return and the hours they put in.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 28/02/2012 14:04:25    1119054

The officials, particularly those that do club games, are the last people the GAA and Revenue want to go after. It's hard enough to recruit new refs with all the crap they have to put up with from players, management, fans and the media without trying to claim a few Euros back off them. As someone said they seem to be the easy target here which is the way it seems to be from the Revenue Service and GAA heirarchy; go for the easy option and soft victim while the real big GAA earners and tax avoiders are let go. If the Revenue and Croke Park were to really dig deep in respect of under the table payments and tax avoidance/evasion in regards to monies received there would a Glasgow Rangers tax style scenario every day with some really big GAA names and counties affected. If the officials want to muddy the waters and get back at the GAA, Longford might be the start of a snowball affect that could bring down some household GAA names and counties and open a can of worms.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 28/02/2012 14:14:46    1119071

I was down South last summer and talking to a few GAA club men in a certain county who told me the county manager was getting paid nearly a six figure sum and that every club had to contribute to that.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 28/02/2012 14:24:04    1119081

Everyone should pay their taxes, but referees put in alot for their time and effort as well as pay insurance and membership fees. How they came up with the figure of 13.71 etc is a total joke. It should be more than double that. Average 3 to 4 hour round trip including fuel cost in any county, thats not even the minumum wage.

I expect alot more counties to follow Longford. They would be better off targeting gate receipts at intercounty grounds. With the health and safety limits set on large terraced grounds there is widespread abuse. I wont mention any names but some official attendance figures at some grounds just dont stack up.

ninjasmyth (Louth) - Posts: 748 - 28/02/2012 15:48:12    1119165

Ulsterman every county in Ireland has spoofers that love to let on they have the inside track and know 'for a fact' the manager is being paid a small fortune.

Coylers Elbow (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 28/02/2012 15:52:36    1119170

Whether or not its a nice wee earner on the side or not, i dont think most gaa people begrudge the ref's their dues. They dont get paid a lot really for their time effort and committment. Perhaps it needs to be rebranded as a donation or another 'term' to ensure it is not tax applicable. At the end of the day, a payment must be declared, if you were to go by revenue ideals, they are basically deciding to enforce the tax laws. Im not sure striking is the solution yet, i dont think croke park are forcing this but they are being made implement it. They do need to engage in dialogue from now on. I would question a small issue!
Will ref's in the North have to comply with such revenue legislation???

81DLSAM (Donegal) - Posts: 281 - 28/02/2012 16:05:22    1119181

Absolute joke. Who is pushing this by the way? Croke Park or the Revenue?

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 28/02/2012 16:36:04    1119200

Looks like the GAA has issued a statement saying that payments are to remain the same. I really don't think that GAA are pushing it. They wouldn't want the headache.

Sohws how bad the country really is when revenue need to go after this kind of stuff. Small fry I'd have taught.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 29/02/2012 10:08:52    1119471

Two different tax systems on this island, Gaa is the whole island, would of thought its a headache they can do without. Refs from the north where would they make their tax returns. (maybe ulsterman can help me out here).

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 29/02/2012 10:47:06    1119495

Absoulte joke. i for one would definitely support a strike! As a former referee I can say for sure that most refs dont make very much money from refereeing!

SouthEastGAA (Wexford) - Posts: 23 - 29/02/2012 13:53:14    1119657

We hear all the time people wanting Revenue to go after the Black Economy.

Now I reckon that some refs ( and it probably applies to other codes as well although ormondbannerman will probably contradict !!!) easlily to 10.000 a year,
I know refs doing 10 & more games a week. Hurling , fotball, Camogie, Ladies and a few do soccer as well.

As there are GAA, Rugby & Soccer officials & Refs in Revenue they have not gone after this but it will happen.

Blind eyes cant be turned for ever !!!!

So the Refs should be careful what they look for as they might just get it and then the Tax demand.

It would be easy for Revenue to target. All the fixtures from all sports are published, thousands of game sin every county in every sport. They could just select a few, record their games & bill them, adding penalties & interest for past undeclared years and then the fat would be in the fire. All Refs would then have to declare & fast !!!

So the refs making a big fuss might just be setting themselves up. I would hate to see it but income is taxable ....................................................

KELF (Kildare) - Posts: 775 - 29/02/2012 17:43:50    1119947

It's not income it's expenses,big difference.

fredrickwood (Roscommon) - Posts: 2871 - 29/02/2012 18:45:03    1119989

For home games in my local Club the 2 refs who are appointedto most games are from neighbouring clubs, one had 5 miles to travel the other 3.

So return journey 6 miles @ 50cent per mile is €3 expences & for the other €5, the rest of their €40 ( or is it €50) is, in Tax Law, income !!!!!

So again I caution refs to be careful

KELF (Kildare) - Posts: 775 - 29/02/2012 21:17:43    1120077

kelf, upkeep of car,lunch, training gear ,courses to attend,etc if it came to that extreme not alot would be on tax. though ones doing alot of matches in a weekend might have to be careful. just give a tax free allowance of 5000 a year anything over it and then u pay.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 29/02/2012 21:46:05    1120105

Ath Cliath that's a good idea. Would solve all of this straight away. Kelf, Have you maybe over exagerated the figure of 10k a little? Or a lot perhaps.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 01/03/2012 09:21:31    1120141

Daytona


Just in Kildare take the Senior League (4 divisions), Minor, Under 16, Under 14, Football, Hurling, S , I & J, Minor, Under 16, Under 14, North Baord & South Board Spring & Autumn, Primary & Secondry schools competitions.

Check the full lot of fixtues any week and see how many games the "top 20" refs do. Add in all the friendly games they also do and my 10 might well be an undestatement. (I have not done any such excersise but it can be done !!!!!!!!!!)

Now it would be grand if Revenue would go away and leave us alone but will they ?????????????????

Now long before GAA Refs ever got a bob, I started to play soccer (1967 !!!!) and was shocked when someone came collecting money to pay the ref !!! Soccer refs were making good money doing 2 games each Sat & Sun and a few nights a week from April to July in various summer leagues. Now they will be in line for tax as well !!!!

KELF (Kildare) - Posts: 775 - 01/03/2012 20:19:36    1120773