New regime: Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital purchased Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in May
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Chelsea have informed HMRC and the FA of an issue with the club’s tax affairs before the Todd Boehly takeover from Roman Abramovich.
It emerged last month that Boehly had withheld £100million from his £4.25billion purchase amid concern the club will be hit with costs over liabilities during the Abramovich era.
The Times reported that new owners Boehly and US investment firm Clearlake Capital have identified an area of concern while conducting due diligence as part of their takeover, although it said any potential sums owed by Chelsea would amount to only a fraction of the £100m.
HMRC declined to comment, while Chelsea said that “as a general rule, the club does not comment on regulatory matters”. The FA are monitoring the situation.
Boehly was permitted to hold back £100m from his purchase as a result of concerns the club could face liabilities further down the line. Under Abramovich, Chelsea received funding via parent companies in which tax liabilities are understood to have become increasingly difficult to unravel.
Chelsea said at the time that it was “not unusual to withhold an amount related to any unforeseen liabilities that may arise from transactions that occurred prior to the sale”.
The financial set-up under the new regime will be entirely different. Boehly has made commitments totalling £4.25bn, including the purchase price and subsequent 10-year spending commitments.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that outgoing director Marina Granovskaia will lose a sizable chunk of her £20m bonus payments for her work on the sale because of her departure.
