# Man City Tax Scrutiny After Verdict

> Premier League verdict urges HMRC to review Manchester City's tax implications.
- Title: Man City Tax Scrutiny After Verdict · BBC Sport | Shortify
- Summary: Premier League verdict urges HMRC to review Manchester City's tax implications. Manchester City's Premier League verdict requires HMRC to scrutinize tax…
- Keywords: manchester city, premier league, hmrc, tax implications, sham sponsorship, abu dhabi government, etihad airways, disguised funding scheme, sports, Man, City, Tax
- Source: BBC Sport — https://bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjkg7g93y5yno
- Published: 2026-10-01T15:38:08.253+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: manchester city, premier league, hmrc, tax implications, sham sponsorship, abu dhabi government, etihad airways, disguised funding scheme, sports
## Premier League Verdict
The Premier League found Manchester City guilty of 114 of 115 financial regulation breaches between 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

> Image source, Getty Images
## Tax Implications
HMRC is urged to scrutinize £12m unpaid tax and potential £24m penalty charge linked to sham sponsorship agreements.

> The Tax Policy Associates report claims City failed to pay as much as £12m in unpaid tax
## City's Appeal
Manchester City plans to appeal the verdict by Friday, claiming sponsorship deals were funded by Abu Dhabi government rather than club owners.

> City will claim as part of their appeal that key sponsorship deals were funded by the Abu Dhabi government
## Disguised Funding Scheme
The club argued that Abu Dhabi sponsors paid all recorded fees directly, with no involvement from Abu Dhabi United Group.

> City's case was that [it] had misunderstood how Abu Dhabi sponsorship agreements had been funded
## Commission Rejection
The independent commission rejected City's explanation as 'untrue', stating it was a post-event attempt to obscure the disguised funding scheme.

> We concluded that it was an 'explanation' that the club had concocted well after the event
## Abu Dhabi Connection
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is listed as an Emirati diplomat with diplomatic immunity under UK law.

> Al Mubarak is named as an Emirati diplomat on the UK government's current directory of all foreign representatives
## Etihad Legal Action
Etihad Airways plans legal action against Premier League over 'damaging implications' of commission findings despite not being named in redacted documents.

> Etihad Airways said it is considering legal action against the Premier League
## Key takeaway

Manchester City's Premier League verdict requires HMRC to scrutinize tax implications of alleged £24m unpaid tax due to sham sponsorship deals.