Contract players are engaged under a contract of employment. The following types of payment made to footballers are earnings from that employment, and are normally chargeable to tax as employment income (see generally EIM00510 onwards).
Other kinds of payment may also be taxable. If you come across a
payment that is not covered in the specific guidance at
EIM64100 onwards, refer in the first
instance to the general guidance on employment income at
EIM00510 onwards.