Tag Archive for: Football

News Avatar

Image Rights – Further Probes

Following consultation with Spanish tax authorities into recent high profile ‘image rights’ tax avoidance schemes. The UK’s HM Revenues & Customs (HMRC) is now investigating almost 200 footballers as part of its crackdown on tax avoidance in the sport.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the number of players under investigation has risen from 181 in April to 198 today, with 44 Premiership and Football League clubs said to be involved. The number of Agents (Intermediaries) being probed has also increased from 21 to 29.

The investigation covers a range of areas from image rights loopholes, to the use of tax avoidance schemes.

Read more

News Avatar

What about the others?

Another month goes by and the Spanish authorities hand out another criminal conviction to someone involved in top-level football. This time it is Jose Mourinho that has been handed a one-year suspended jail sentence for tax fraud along with an additional fine of £1.8 million by the Spanish authorities for tax evasion.

The fine equates to 60% of the €3.3 million (£2.9 million) of tax he is found to have avoided paying in 2011 and 2012. This related to image rights held in an offshore company while he was managing Real Madrid, according to reports.

Read more

News Avatar

Fraud, football and mental health

We have covered a few fraud cases in the IYE Global blog posts and also covered the targeting of professional sportsmen and women by fraudsters as they are seen as cash rich.

One area we have not yet covered is the devastating impact this can have on the mental health of the victims. This can range from simple embarrassment through to suicide. We know of cases where people have lost their homes, their families and have been forced into bankruptcy.

Read more

News Avatar

Ronaldo – Tax Case

The recent Ronaldo tax case is a very interesting study. There is no question Ronaldo was acting on the advice of his professional advisors, yet he, not his advisors is the one left with a criminal conviction, a two-year suspended jail sentence and a payment for €18.9 million (£16.8 million) to settle his tax fraud case with Spanish authorities.

Ronaldo was accused last year of not paying €14.8 million in taxes between 2011 and 2014 using a shell company in the British Virgin Islands to disguise income earned on his image rights.

Ronaldo was shown to have benefited from a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company.

This was used to receive image royalties, prior to his becoming resident in Spain, allowing him to avoid income tax on foreign income.

Read more