Sri Lankan Cricketers Seek Court’s Intervention In Tax Dispute

Sri Lankan cricketers have sought the intervention of Court of Appeal following a personal income tax dispute with the game’s governing body, SLC and the Department of Inland Revenue (IRD). The cricketers, both men and women, went to the court in March, wanting the court to rule that they are not employees of SLC but individual service providers in terms of the tax liability. The likes of Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, women cricketers Chamari Atapattu and Anushka Sanjeewani made the court plea for their recognition as individual service providers. The SLC lawyers were supportive of the cricketers’ position.

However the Solicitor General’s Department argued that after signing contracts with the SLC, they are deemed employees under the Inland Revenue Act.

When the case was heard on Tuesday, the parties came to an interim settlement, the lawyers said.

This would mean that IRD would deduct Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) from cricketers from June, while the IRD would put on hold the recovery of APIT for 2022/23 and 2023/24 until the conclusion of the case.

The case would be next heard on November 6, 14 and 18, the lawyers said.

Source: NDTV Sports