Village sports clubs face crippling tax bills after a major crackdown by the taxman.
As corporations such as Google, Amazon and Starbucks avoid billions in tax, HMRC is instead targeting the tiny amounts community sports clubs pay to helpers.
These sums typically run into a few hundred pounds. The crackdown – described as ‘a tax on village life’ – has left many cash-strapped clubs facing ruin after receiving bills dating back years for those who help out by doing the cleaning, making tea and mowing grass.