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The superstar of the Catalan club Lionel Messi and his father Jorge have adjusted their tax declaration and paid the missing amount to the Spanish treasury. According to reports, it amounts to 5 million euros.
In mid-June, Catalan newspapers reported that the Spanish tax inspection suspected the best football player in the world and his father of hiding around 4 million euros in taxes between 2006-2009. According to reports, part of the player's income was transferred to companies in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belize, and Uruguay, avoiding taxes in Spain. These operations allegedly began when L. Messi was still a minor.
Officials investigating financial crimes handed over the information gathered to the court in the municipality of Gava, where L. Messi lives. The first newspaper to report this news, "El Periodico," noted that no official suspicions or accusations have been made against L. Messi himself.
On Wednesday, court representatives confirmed that they had received a "corrected tax payment order" from L. Messi and his father, totaling 5 million 16 thousand 542 euros and 27 cents. This action was taken on August 14, and the mentioned amount is the taxes demanded by Spanish authorities, along with late payment interest.
L. Messi will still have to appear in court in the municipality of Gava on September 17. The judge handling the case has already stated that there is no information suggesting that the football player or his father might try to conceal any information or assets during the investigation.
It is believed that this case will end in a so-called settlement, in which the player pays the missing amount, and the investigation against him is closed without any additional sanctions.
The Argentine has emphasized on several occasions that he was surprised by the news of possible tax evasion. According to L. Messi, his financial matters are handled by consultants and advisors who, together with lawyers, will resolve any difficulties that arise.
All the leader of the Catalan club's income per year is around 40 million euros.
The Barcelona footballer is not the only one who has recently faced problems due to unpaid taxes. The president of Bayern Munich Club, Uli Hoeness, has also gotten into an unpleasant situation due to tax evasion and hiding them in a secret account in a Swiss bank. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also upset with the behavior of the Bavarian team's leader.
