Inside BCCI’s Tax Strategy: The Filing Process Behind The Billion-Dollar Board

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains the undisputed financial powerhouse of world cricket and its dominance only got bigger in FY24. The board’s total revenue for the year soared to an eye-watering Rs 20,686 crore, marking a jump of Rs 4,200 crore from the previous fiscal. No other cricket board among the 108 affiliated to the ICC comes close.

The primary engine behind this growth is, unsurprisingly, the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has transformed cricket into a global commercial phenomenon. Back in 2022, the BCCI inked a historic media rights deal worth Rs 48,390 crore with Disney Star and Viacom18 – a contract that guarantees a steady flood of cash every season. Add to that the earnings from bilateral series media rights and ICC distributions, and you have a financial model that is the envy of sporting bodies worldwide.

Breaking Down the Numbers

Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik outlines the BCCI’s FY24 earnings like a corporate balance sheet:

🚨 BCCI Earned ₹9,741 Cr in FY24… Paid ₹0 in Taxes!
This is not a loophole. This is a masterclass in structure. 🧠💸

Let’s break this down like a balance sheet:

📈 FY24 Revenue: ₹9,741.71 Cr
⬆️ 48.5% jump from ₹6,558.80 Cr in FY23 (source: audited report)

🏏 IPL alone…

— CA Nitin Kaushik (@Finance_Bareek) August 9, 2025

The board’s audited revenue for FY24 stood at Rs 9,741.71 crore – up a massive 48.5% from Rs 6,558.80 crore the previous year. The IPL alone accounts for a staggering 59% of that figure, despite being just a two-month tournament.

The Tax-Free Advantage

Despite the billions flowing in, the BCCI paid zero income tax in FY24. That’s because it enjoys exemption under Section 12AA of the Income Tax Act, which is reserved for charitable organisations. Registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, the BCCI’s stated mission is to promote and develop cricket in India.

As long as its surplus is reinvested into cricketing activities from grassroots programs to building stadiums – the board qualifies as a non-profit for tax purposes. In other words, the BCCI operates like a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, but for taxation, it’s treated like an NGO.

This exemption is not new. In fact, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal reaffirmed it as recently as 2021. That said, the government still benefits from cricket’s cash machine through other avenues.

Where the Government Gets Its Share

For starters, the BCCI pays GST on IPL revenues. Between 2022-23 and 2023-24, it deposited over Rs 2,038.55 crore in GST, according to figures tabled in Parliament.

There’s also TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) on player salaries. In the 2025 IPL mega auction, franchises spent Rs 639.15 crore to sign 182 players – 120 Indian and 62 overseas. Under Indian tax rules, Indian players have 10% TDS deducted, while foreign players face a 20% cut. From IPL 2025 alone, this brought in Rs 89.49 crore in TDS for the government.

A Revenue Model Like No Other

The BCCI’s income streams extend far beyond ticket sales and broadcast rights. Sponsorship deals, digital partnerships, fantasy gaming collaborations, and merchandising all fuel its ever-expanding war chest. Few sports organisations worldwide can boast such variety and volume of revenue.

Still, the debate continues – should a body generating close to Rs 10,000 crore annually keep its tax-free status? Critics argue that it’s time to revisit the exemption, while supporters believe the board’s reinvestment into cricketing infrastructure, talent development, and global promotion more than justifies it.

Either way, one fact is undeniable: the BCCI has mastered the art of turning cricket into one of the most lucrative sporting enterprises in history – all while playing in a tax bracket most corporations could only dream of.