On January 3, 2019, no one could have predicted that the then St. Louis Blues captain, Alex Pietrangelo, would be hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2019 season. In early January 2019, the Blues were in last place in the NHL, but the team turned their season around with the help of the song “Gloria”. A little over a year later, Blues fans could not imagine Alex Pietrangelo wearing anything but a Blue Note as he headed towards unrestricted free agency. But in October 2020, the former Blues captain inked a seven-year, $61.6 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
NHL Salary Cap Takes a Hit
It is presumed that one of the major sticking points in the Blues negotiation with Pietrangelo was the amount of signing bonuses included in any potential contract. The ongoing pandemic has limited the cash flow of many businesses throughout the world, and the NHL is not immune to that reality. Before the pandemic hit, the NHL salary cap was anticipated to increase substantially for the upcoming season, but the league decided to keep the salary cap flat for the foreseeable future. The flat salary cap put the Blues in a bind when it came to fitting Pietrangelo in under the salary cap for the upcoming season, which further complicated negotiations. In his deal with Vegas, he will receive $35 million of signing bonuses throughout the life of the seven-year contract, which likely has major tax benefits for the former Blue.
State Income Tax Comes into Play
Nevada is one of nine states that does not have any state income tax. Athletes’ are generally subject to a “jock tax” in states and cities in which they work. The athletes’ salaries are commonly apportioned to various states and cities using the “duty days” method. This jock tax is levied by states and cities on athletes who play or practice while in town. Assuming Pietrangelo becomes a Nevada resident rather than remaining a Missouri resident, the structure of his contract provides major tax benefits. This means that half of Pietrangelo’s games will be allocated to Nevada, a no income tax state. In addition, signing bonuses are exempt from the Duty Day calculation provided certain criteria are met. Instead, signing bonuses are allocated to an athlete’s resident state. In this case, all of the $35 million in signing bonuses will be allocated to Nevada and not be subject to state income taxes. If he had remained a Missouri resident and signed a similar contact with the Blues, Pietrangelo’s signing bonus would result in Missouri state income taxes of roughly $1.9 million.
For professional athletes, tax compliance and planning can be an issue when it comes to filing in the proper tax authorities. The Anders Sports, Arts and Entertainment Group has the knowledge to help athletes with tax compliance and planning. Contact an Anders advisor below to learn more.
All Insights
