Are NFL Fines Able to Be Written Off?

When you look at some of the biggest scandals in the NFL, such as the Bellichick taping scandal or any of the off field antics that players seem to get into, the most common result you see is that the person responsible is hit with a large fine.  These fines can range anywhere from a few thousand dollars up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

While there is some argument over whether or not these fines are always a just punishment for the infraction, it at least serves to make people feel better knowing that these deeds are being punished.  But are these fines being written off at tax time?

Believe it or not, tax experts say that yes, NFL fines are easily written off at tax time.  For NFL employees, whether players or coaches, these fines are seen as legitimate business expenses.  In other words, while Bellichick may have had to pay a huge sum of money as punishment for taping the practices of other teams, that sum is just more money that he doesn’t have to pay taxes on at the end of the year.

Since NFL fines are considered punishment, the ability to simply write them off seems to take some of the sting away.  Unfortunately, changing this would mean making major changes to tax law, something the IRS and federal government do not want to do just to make NFL punishments stricter. 

It is frustrating for NFL fans who want justice, but for now it is just the way that it goes.