Rhys Linnell

Director, London

Rhys Linnell

Rhys is a trusted adviser within the sports industry. He provides specialist and bespoke tax, accounting, and business advice to a range of clients in the sector.

Rhys’ clients include over 70 Premier League footballers, grand slam winning tennis players, tour winning golfers and Olympic gold medallists. He also advises various other parties in the sector, including agencies, clubs and governing bodies.

Rhys uses his private client and entrepreneur background to advise his clients as to their wider business affairs, as well as their sporting specific matters.

Rhys regularly writes blogs and appears on seminars to discuss the current and potential future implications of tax policy on the industry.


Key experience

  • Expert in relation to the payment of football intermediary fees, advising players, clubs, and agencies on the application of HMRC policy in relation to both transfers and contract re-negotiation.
  • Advice in relation to commercial structuring, image rights and utilising surplus funds for investment or tax efficient extraction.
  • Utilisation of vast football experience to provide various parties with advice in relation to industry norms, eg ‘benchmarking’.
  • Specialist tax adviser regarding ‘touring’ individual sports people, with particularly vast experience in golf and tennis.
  • Advising in relation to international withholding taxes and final filing positions to allow clients to better understand their worldwide tax footprint and filing obligations.
  • Liaising with a well-respected network of associates across both Europe and further afield to provide clients with a worldwide summary of their tax position, rather than solely focusing on the UK position.
  • Extensive experience of negotiating with HMRC to close tax investigations of both retained clients and parties seeking specific advice.

Interests

Rhys’ interest in sport extends outside the office. You can find him playing hockey in the winter months at Surbiton Hockey Club, cricket in the summer months for Marylebone Cricket Club (or his beloved Kettering Town Cricket Club) and golf anywhere and anytime that he’s invited!

Loading