By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 26 May 2017 • 11:16
CRISTIANO RONALDO is the latest football star to be embroiled in a tax fraud scandal.
The Real Madrid forward allegedly owes more than €14 million in income tax from 2011-2014 for the sale of rights to his image.
Spanish media reports suggest that the star allegedly sent money to the British Virgin Islands, an offshore tax haven, using a series of shell companies set up in several countries which bagged Ronaldo an estimated €150 million.
What makes this case different from Barcelona rival Lionel Messi’s is that Ronaldo willingly came forward and paid €5.6 million to the Hacienda in 2014 as part of an income tax campaign, which he claims is all that he owes the government for the period 2009 to 2020.
Under the so-called Beckham Law, Ronaldo is only forced to declare payments generated in Spain but the Hacienda now want almost €15 million to cover the remaining four years of his image rights.
The Prosecution has until June 30 to decide whether to take the Real Madrid star to court, which could see him sentenced to up to six years in prison for tax fraud if convicted.
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