Wasps statement: Club admit HMRC dialogue over unpaid tax bill

Wasps have become the second Gallagher Premiership club this week to confirm they are in talks with the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over unpaid taxes just weeks before the start of the new 2022/23 season in England. It was Wednesday when Worcester admitted they have an outstanding tax amount owed by the club to HMRC, who have issued a winding-up petition against them.

Wasps have now also revealed they too are in negotiations with the HMRC. The admission comes following months of speculation about the health of their finances following the inability to repay the £35million bond that was due to be settled with investors who stumped up in 2015.   

A newspaper report claimed that Wasps – like Worcester – were being chased by the HMRC over an unpaid tax bill and they have now issued a statement via the BBC claiming they are in proactive discussions with them.

The statement read: “We have a strong relationship with HMRC. In common with many businesses, we agreed on a time-to-pay arrangement with HMRC coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

“We will continue to engage in proactive discussions with them. Many companies and business sectors are in exactly the same situation after the most economically challenging two and a half years in living memory.

“Individual businesses in leisure, sport, entertainment, conferencing and hospitality have been hit particularly hard and we are involved in all five of those sectors. We have a robust business model with a busier than ever order book for concerts, conferences, exhibitions and other events which will see us prosper into the future.”

The statement from Wasps regarding their discussions with the HMRC is the latest development in a week where there was further acrimony with tenant club Coventry City over the condition of the Coventry Building Society Arena pitch and it also emerged that club owner Derek Richardson had sold his 50 per cent stake in the Wasps training ground in Henley-in-Arden that was opened last September.