The Maple Leafs’ John Tavares is switching his battle with Canada’s tax agency to the court system, saying, “It’s Not Weighing On Me.”
John Tavares, the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is suing the Canada Revenue Agency after they couldn’t agree on how much the star player owed in taxes for 2018.
Speaking to media during the team’s outdoor practice on Thursday, Tavares said he’s delegating the decision to his attorney.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Tavares declared. It is pending in court. I recognize the question, but all I can say at this moment is that it’s still in the legal system.”
Tavares is suing the Canadian tax authority in court, according to a National Post story published on Wednesday, after his 2018 return was reassessed and found to owe $8 million in total, interest included.
The contract that the Mississauga native signed on July 1, 2018, for a seven-year total of $77 million, includes a signing bonus. The player received a signing bonus of $15.25 million of his $15.9 million salary; they contend that this was “integral” to his decision to sign with Toronto, even though other teams expressed interest in signing him. They contend that the Canada-US tax treaty, which makes an exception, should only be used to tax 15% of the signing incentive.
It seems that the captain is approaching this legal struggle in the same manner as he usually does—that is, with stoicism, not letting much bother him aside from the task at hand.
It seems that the captain is approaching this legal struggle in the same manner as he usually does—that is, with stoicism, not letting much bother him aside from the task at hand.
Many Canadian professional sports fans will be watching this outcome. A significant portion of salary is linked to signing bonuses for several of Toronto’s top players.
After going nine games without a point for the first time in his career, Tavares went on a three-game goal-scoring run. In 49 games this season, the 33-year-old has 15 goals and 25 assists.
