Bradley Wiggins among investors in £100m 'charity' tax avoidance scheme

Up to 400 invested in the ‘Cup Trust’

Victoria McKeever
clock • 2 min read

Olympic cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins has been named as an investor in a scheme said to have used a charity as a front to attempt to avoid paying HMRC £100m in tax, according to reports.

Wiggins, who is a five-time Olympic medallist and the first Briton to win the Tour de France, was among up to 400 investors who put money into the ‘Cup Trust', the Times has reported. In 2010, the Cup Trust reported donations of £176m - more than each of the RSPB, British Heart Foundation and the Salvation Army - but gave just £150,000 to charity. The scheme allegedly used the donations to artificially generate gift aid claims that could be used by donors to reduce their tax bill. Had it been successful, the scheme would have reportedly resulted in tax savings of £55m, or an average o...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Tax planning

Spring Statement 26: Autumn Budget changes to account for 14% of total IHT revenue

Spring Statement 26: Autumn Budget changes to account for 14% of total IHT revenue

Behavioural responses to the measures ‘particularly uncertain’

Isabel Baxter
clock 03 March 2026 • 2 min read
Offshore bonds explained - how they work and what clients they are suitable for

Offshore bonds explained - how they work and what clients they are suitable for

Resurgence in interest over the past few months

Laura Purkess
clock 24 February 2026 • 5 min read
Webinar: IHT on pensions – Advisers' questions answered

Webinar: IHT on pensions – Advisers' questions answered

Join us on 10 March 2026

Professional Adviser
clock 20 February 2026 • 1 min read