Italian teams in Ireland?

[ingsve]

Is there a specific reason why Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce, Colnago - CSF Inox and De Rosa - Stac Plastic are all registered in Ireland? They all seem to be pure italian teams with 97% italian riders and italian sponsors so why the choice of registering in Ireland?

It just seems fishy to me as if they are deliberately avoiding the italian anti-doping agency. Could that be the case? Would they fall outside the jurisdiction of the italians by registering in Ireland?

 

[Roland Rat]

Is there a specific reason why Ceramica Flaminia - Bossini Docce, Colnago - CSF Inox and De Rosa - Stac Plastic are all registered in Ireland? They all seem to be pure italian teams with 97% italian riders and italian sponsors so why the choice of registering in Ireland?

It just seems fishy to me as if they are deliberately avoiding the italian anti-doping agency. Could that be the case? Would they fall outside the jurisdiction of the italians by registering in Ireland?

Tax.



blah blah blah.

 

[euanli]

Yeah there are a few British Italian teams as well.

 

[jimmypop]

Corporate tax benefits.

 

[Stephen_M]

I'm not entirely sure what the reason is, as I imagine most/all cycling teams are pretty much just money-pits which exist from receiving payments from sponsors and there probably isn't much in the way of annual profits to declare?

That said; in Ireland Corp tax had a headline rate of 12.5%, whereas Italy has one of 31.4%. Personal Tax is 20-41% in Ireland, versus 23-43% in Italy. VAT is 21% in Ireland and 20% in Italy.

The laws (and penalties) around sporting fraud do also differ though....

 

[Irish2009]

It also has to do with the cost of registering a team, minimum wage may also be a factor as Ireland has no minimum for neo-pro cyclists or established riders either.

 

[VeloResults.co.uk]

The Inner Ring blog sums this scenario up very well:

http://theinnerring.blogspot.com/2010/08/lets-talk-tax.html

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

It also has to do with the cost of registering a team, minimum wage may also be a factor as Ireland has no minimum for neo-pro cyclists or established riders either.

Minimum wages for cycling teams are not set by the countries in which they are registered... but by the UCI as defined in the Joint Agreements between the UCI and the AIGCP. Unless there is a loophole that the Irish government provides?

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

It just seems fishy to me as if they are deliberately avoiding the italian anti-doping agency. Could that be the case?

I don't see how? Both proTour and proConti teams need to adhere to the UCI bio-passport program. That program is run independent of the ADA's. Its between the teams and the UCI. So it would be irrelevant where your team is registered.

When it comes to OOC testing by ADA's at the individual athlete level, this is done by the ADA of the country where the rider holds his licence. So its irrelevant where the rider lives or where his team is registered. ie If I'm Italian and have a racing licence issued by Italy, I can ride for an Irish registered team. I report my whereabouts to ADAMS - administered by WADA. I can live in Monaco. And I'm subject to out of competition testing by the Italian ADA - because my racing licence is issued in Italy. It confuses me

 

[fatandfast]

I don't see how? Both proTour and proConti teams need to adhere to the UCI bio-passport program. That program is run independent of the ADA's. Its between the teams and the UCI. So it would be irrelevant where your team is registered.

When it comes to OOC testing by ADA's at the individual athlete level, this is done by the ADA of the country where the rider holds his licence. So its irrelevant where the rider lives or where his team is registered. ie If I'm Italian and have a racing licence issued by Italy, I can ride for an Irish registered team. I report my whereabouts to ADAMS - administered by WADA. I can live in Monaco. And I'm subject to out of competition testing by the Italian ADA - because my racing licence is issued in Italy. It confuses me

For US racers you have a couple of issues. Must be out of the US for 330 days a year and make less than 90k to have a form of tax exempt status.Otherwise you pay tax on the amount over 90k. This covers 99.9% of all racers who make nowhere near that. You must still make minimum payments to social security and medicare even when out of the country. Lots of countries make you get a release from your federation to join another and you have to sign up saying that you can't contest national championships in the country where you have the license. Most big bike teams in the US are 501c3 non profits that have some bizarre way of saying that most of the work they do(race their bike) is part of a non-profit endeavor. Brits have all kinds of different tax rates depending on how many days you work in and out of country. I have seen paycheck stubs from Saturn and Navigators and the amounts on paper are not what people are pocketing. If you go 1099 in the US you had to be profitable for 2 years before you can start writing off mileage,cleaning,expenses. The IRS knows exactly who is and isn't a pro bike racer in the US it's all there on your W2.

 

[NickBVK]

Tax rates.

Lots of big companies are 'based' in Ireland