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Wigan seek relegation tax break

Wigan Athletic, who have been relegated three times in the past six years, have gone to court to challenge their business rates. They are arguing they should pay less because of the catastrophic loss of value that clubs suffer when they drop down a division.

The club argues that after relegation to League One in 2015, they were paying more than six times the average business rates of other clubs in the division. The average League One club paid £88,000 a year in 2015/16, but Wigan's bill was nearly £600,000. They argue that revaluations should be done more regularly.

I am no business rates expert, but I would have thought that the standard of the stadium (high in Wigan's case) would be a factor. However, a ruling in Wigan's favour could potentially benefit other clubs.

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