World’s best footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has been accused of defrauding Spain’s tax authorities of €14.7million between 2011 and 2014.
Spain’s prosecutor’s office in Madrid has filed a tax fraud lawsuit against the Portuguese footballer.
In a statement on Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office said Ronaldo knowingly used a “business structure” created in 2010 to hide his income in Spain from his image rights.
The lawsuit is based on a report sent to the prosecutor’s office from Spain’s tax agency AEAT, it said.
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The Portugal international is alleged to have evaded tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for its low corporate tax rate.
In addition, the authorities said he only declared €11.5million of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while what he really earned during that time was close to €43m.
Ronaldo who signed a staggering new contract extension with Real Madrid in November is the world’s highest-paid athlete.
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The 32-year-old also has a lifetime deal with Nike which is worth a whopping £790m.
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