12/9/13, "Cano Pockets Extra $42 Million in Tax-Friendly Mariners Deal," Bloomberg Scott Soshnick
"The Seattle Mariners’ contract with
Robinson Cano is worth about $42 million more in after-tax pay
than the New York Yankees’ best offer to the All-Star second
baseman, according to Robert Raiola, a certified public
accountant who specializes in sports and entertainment.
The Mariners’ agreement with Cano, which hasn’t been
signed, is for $240 million over 10 years, a person familiar
with the negotiations said on Dec. 6. New York’s best offer was
about $175 million over seven years, according to the New York
Post.
The calculation, Raiola said in a telephone interview, is
based on the assumption that Cano will become a resident of
Washington, which has no state income tax. Cano lives in New
Jersey, where the top tax is 8.97 percent, and he intends to
relocate to Seattle, said Ron Berkowitz, a Roc Nation Sports
spokesman with Berk Communications.
Had Cano re-signed with the 27-time World Series champions,
he would have paid New York State taxes on 45 percent of his
Yankees income, Raiola said, adding that he would have received
a credit in New Jersey on those taxes.
With the Mariners, Cano will benefit from playing more than
70 percent of his games in jurisdictions that don’t have a state
tax, including Texas. Seattle plays in the American League’s
Western Division, which includes two Texas teams -- the Texas
Rangers and Houston Astros.
Washington voters rejected an income
tax in 2010. States tax athletes based on days or games played
within their borders. For the Mariners, Raiola said he assumed a
state tax rate of 7 percent in the locales where athletes are
subject to tax.
State Taxes
As a member of the Mariners, Cano, 31, will pay about
$504,000 annually in state taxes, Raiola said. As a member of
the Yankees, he would pay about $2.2 million a year over the
life of the contract, said Raiola, the sports and entertainment
senior group manager at Cranford, New Jersey-based Fazio,
Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC.
The five-time All-Star’s net pay would be about $12.8
million annually for 10 years with the Mariners, Raiola said. It
would be about $12.3 million annually for seven years with the
Yankees.
That, combined with the extra three years of salary in
Seattle, is a difference of about $42 million over the span of
the Mariners contract.
The Yankees would have had to pay Cano about $265 million
for him to keep the same amount that he will with Seattle,
Raiola said.
Cano’s net pay over the life of his Seattle contract is
about $128 million, Raiola said. His net pay over the life of
the Yankees offer, he said, would have been about $86 million." via Newsday twitter
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