Premier League clubs face prospect of higher wage bills after budget tax change hits players

• Image rights payments to be taxed at 45% from April 2027

• Some players already have clauses making clubs liable

Premier League clubs are facing the prospect of higher wage bills after the government’s announcement in the budget that image rights ­payments will be treated as income from April 2027.

The change will leave many ­top-flight players with significantly larger tax bills and several agents have said that is likely to be passed on to clubs, particularly for players who sign new contracts before the measure takes effect.