Court of Appeal issues notices on IRD, SLC over cricketers’ tax dispute

Wednesday, 4 June 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Court of Appeal yesterday issued formal notices on the respondents, including the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), following an agreement between the parties for an interim settlement in connection with writ petitions filed by Sri Lanka’s national cricket players.

The petitions challenge the classification of the players as employees of the national association, SLC, by the IRD.

According to the terms of the interim settlement, Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) will be deducted from the players’ earnings starting from the month of June. These deductions can be credited against their personal income tax payments. In the event the Court delivers a judgment in favour of the petitioners (the cricketers), the deducted amounts will be refunded.

According to this settlement, the IRD agreed not to institute recovery proceedings for APIIT for the terms of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 and until the end of the matter.

Meanwhile, these petitions were fixed for argument on 6, 14 and 18 November this year.

Court of Appeal (Acting President) Justice Mohammed Laffar and Justice K. Priyantha Fernando issued this order pursuant to writ petitions filed by ODI Captain Charith Asalanka, Test Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and national women’s cricketers Chamari Athapaththu and Anushka Sanjeewani.

Counsel Nishan Premathiratne appeared with Shenali Dias and Sidath Gajanayaka on the instructions of Gamindu Karunasena on behalf of the petitioners Charith Asalanka and Dananjaya De Silva.

Harsha Cabral PC with Vikum Jayasinghe and Manith Dassanayake on the instructions of Gamindu Karunasena appeared for the petitioners Chamari Athapaththu and Anushka Sanjeewani.

Kuvera de Zoysa PC with Sajana de Zoysa, on instructions of Sanjay Fonseka, represented SLC.

Deputy Solicitor General Manohara Jayasinghe appeared for the Attorney General.

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