HMRC Dragged Into Man City's Tax Mess by Treasury Committee

Dame Meg Hillier MP, not one to let a good scandal die, has fired off a letter to the big boss at HM Revenue and Customs. Her demand? A full-blown investigation into City’s tax shenanigans. We’re talking nine seasons where these financial wizards apparently couldn’t stick to the Premier League rulebook. Sky Sports broke the story, naturally.

This whole mess lands right after City got dinged by an independent commission. Oh, and the club’s already announced an appeal deadline. This Friday, no less.

Hillier’s letter, predictably, isn't shy. She wants to know if HMRC has actually seen the *full*, uncensored Premier League investigation report. No blacked-out bits, thank you very much. She’s also looking for some hand-holding, making sure the department truly 'gets' the gravity of this stuff, and the public's intense interest. Like they wouldn't, right?

This entire Premier League investigation — the one that started all this — kicked off because of some hacked emails back in 2018. German magazine Der Spiegel spilled the beans. What did they find? Turns out, former manager Roberto Mancini seemed to be juggling two contracts. City, for public consumption, coughed up £1.45m net. But then, a hefty £1.75m *every single year* was apparently funneled to an Italian company with ties to Mancini. For 'consultancy work' at UAE club Al Jazira. You can almost smell the sincerity.

The Treasury Committee, bless its busy heart, also wants HMRC to paint a bigger picture. They're demanding an overview of how tax actually works at *all* football clubs, including how these players and staff get paid. A response? They expect one by 15 October. Mark your calendars.

City, naturally, still denies everything. And yes, they’ve confirmed they’ll appeal the ruling. Surprise, surprise.