NIL Income: Tax Playbook for
College Athlete Compensation
Name, Image, and Likeness compensation has changed the financial landscape for college athletes, and with that money comes real tax exposure. In this course, Thad Madden draws on 38 years of IRS experience and two years in private practice specializing in NIL tax issues to give tax professionals an inside look at how NIL income is earned, reported, and taxed.
Thad will explain the history and development of NIL, the major revenue streams available to college athletes, and the federal and state tax responsibilities that can arise from endorsements, appearances, social media activity, collectives, royalties, and other compensation arrangements. He will also share practical observations from site visits to colleges across the country, where he has delivered education and awareness presentations and met one-on-one with hundreds of student athletes.
The course will also address special issues involving international athletes, including the treatment of NIL income as passive royalty income and the related federal tax implications. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the tax risks, compliance concerns, and advisory opportunities surrounding this fast-growing area of athlete compensation.
In this course, you learn:
Who should attend:
CPAs, EAs, tax professionals and anyone that deals with NIL Income
2 IRS CE hours
2 CPA CPE Credits
Prerequisites: None
Program Level: Basic
Advanced Preparation: None
Field of Study: Taxes
Location: Virtual
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Your Instructor
Thad Madden
Enrolled Agent | NIL Tax Consultant
Thad Madden retired from the Internal Revenue Service on December 31, 2024, after a 38-year career as a revenue officer, analyst, and program manager.
Thad spent a three-year detail in the Learning and Education division of IRS during which he authored and presented innovative video training, including interviewing the IRS Commissioner, which was delivered to employees nationwide. He also served two international assignments, in which he delivered Collection training to tax officials in the British West Indies and Russia.
Thad helped launch the IRS National Fraud Program in 2001. He received a Fraud Merit Award in 2015, and in 2017 received special recognition from the Department of Justice at their annual Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. He also received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of Fraud Enforcement prior to his retirement.
One of his final projects with the IRS was leading an enterprise-wide initiative studying and addressing compliance issues with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) of collegiate athletes and collectives.
As part of his tax consulting work post-retirement, Thad is specializing in emerging NIL issues. With his experience on the frontlines of tax compliance and enforcement, and at the highest levels of IRS, Thad has much to offer student athletes, collectives, colleges & universities, athletic departments, conferences, and the NCAA.
Thad has been providing awareness, education, and advice to athletes across the country. As an Enrolled Agent, Thad is also authorized to represent taxpayers such as NIL athletes, as a power-of-attorney before the IRS.
Next Webinar:
9/17/2026
1:00 PM Eastern
Boon Tax Educators is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. (Sponsor ID: 170897) State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org
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