The government currently has no plans to introduce tax deductions or additional incentives for sports sponsorship, said Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui.
The remark came after lawmaker Andrew Fan Chun-wah’s inquiry over the lack of sports sponsorship from the business and private sectors to drive sports development in the city.
In a written reply to the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Law said there is no current plan offering tax deduction or incentives for sports sponsorship expenses. Commercial organizations sponsoring a sports event can already claim tax deductions under the Inland Revenue Ordinance, she explained.
She further pointed to the tax deduction arrangement for the donations to tax-exempt charitable institutions and a low tax rate in the city.
Law reaffirmed the government's commitment to promoting sports development under the five-pronged approach that includes promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports, maintaining Hong Kong as a hub for major international sporting events, improving sports professionalism, and developing sports as an industry.
She noted that the government's estimated expenditure on sports development is HK$8.1 billion, jumping nearly 70 percent from HK$4.8 billion ten years ago.
Regarding "M" Mark System applications, Law assured that a review is in place covering an event's status and significance, financial viability, economic impact, media coverage and marketing plans, community appeal and social benefits, sports development impact, as well as the organizer's ability, technical and administrative quality, all to ensure effective use of public funds.
She highlighted that 30 major sports events were awarded “M” Mark status, involving a total of about HK$402 million in commercial sponsorship and about $284 million in matching funds in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, the Arts and Sport Development Fund (ASDF) (Sports Portion) supported 120 events, drawing a total of about HK$13 million in commercial sponsorships and about HK$12 million in matching grants.
Citing the latest Census and Statistics Department figures released in 2025, she stated that the value added of Hong Kong's sports and related activities at basic prices in 2023 was around HK$44 billion, marking a 15.1 percent increase from 2022 and accounting for 1.5 percent of GDP. Notably, more than 80,000 persons were employed in sports and related activities in 2023, representing a 12.8 percent year-on-year increase.
Law indicated the Bureau is pushing ahead with community sports participation, world-class events, "sports + mega events" with commercial investment, and full use of Kai Tak Sports Park to develop a host-city economy.
She said a close communication with the sports sector will be maintained to formulate policies to further enhance the development of sports as an industry.
