I refuse to believe major players evaded paying millions in tax

Sunday 27 May 2012

I want to address the revelation in Wednesday night's BBC Panorama programme that I was one of the people to receive money at Rangers through an employee benefit trust (EBT).

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I feel that I have to defend myself and fight my corner because I have not done anything wrong. I have paid every bit of tax throughout my professional career, at every club, including Rangers.

The full story is that David Murray came to me and asked if I would receive a payment that was due to me, after tax, through the EBT trust. And I said that I would. It was money that was owing to me when I had six months left on my contract and I moved to Dundee United. After the tax was deducted, that money was put in the trust fund.This was a single payment made when I was leaving the club. I did not receive any payments through the trust fund at any other point of my Rangers career. I don't know what other EBTs there were while I was at the club, and we never discussed them as players, although I refuse to believe that major players evaded millions of pounds in tax.There was certainly no benefit to me from being paid this money through the trust fund. It was simply what I was due, the tax was deducted, and the club simply asked that they pay it to me through the fund. I had no issue with that and, of course, EBTs were legal at the time. It was Rangers who asked me to use the fund.As a player, you're aware of all sorts of different schemes for putting your money into. It's not that players are dodging tax, it's just that there are different avenues open to them to pay lower tax rates. There are schemes such as film partnerships that you could pay money into as an individual and so not pay higher tax rates. Image rights seem to be a more recent one that is popular in England. There is nothing illegal in it, and the EBTs were the same. I want to stress that mine was simply a one-off payment, after tax, when I left the club, not some sort of remuneration scheme. I never heard anything about side letters when I was at the club, not one person ever mentioned anything like that. I've been in Spain golfing, so I've not yet seen the BBC programme, but I was shocked to hear that 87 players and staff were involved in the EBT scheme at Ibrox – but it should also be remembered that the trusts were not illegal.People do have to understand that this wasn't players or staff trying to do something that would harm Rangers. And I do feel that it wasn't telling the full truth for the programme to bracket all the players and staff together if the EBTs were different for each of them. All I can say is that in no way did I avoid paying tax, in no way was I paid wages or anything through an EBT over the course of my contract, and in no way was I aware of any side letters.It amazes me that John Yorkston has the gall to talk about Rangers not paying their bills. He's a hypocrite, and he should start making sure that his club pay their bills instead. Jim McIntyre served a writ on Dunfermline on Thursday because he has still yet to receive his settlement after being sacked by the club last season.The issue is with the court now, because Dunfermline said they cannot pay it in one instalment. Yet John Yorkston is in the press all the time talking about other clubs. He should be looking after the financial affairs of his own club.

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I refuse to believe major players evaded paying millions in tax

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