Report emanating this morning from Spain says that Spain’s Officials tax authority have called for ‘debate’ over the deal done with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Earlier this week, there was news that an agreement with tax prosecutors would see Madrid ace to plead guilty over his image rights income and agree to pay a total of €18.8 million. This includes accepting that €5.7m is been owed on image rights income, with a further €13.1m for fines and interest.
Though the final agreement is still yet to be signed off, according to the Gestha union, which represents the lower-level workers at the tax authority, wrote in report to Europa Press saying that the amount Ronaldo will have to pay is too small considering that he was filed of non tax payment of €150m in image rights income.
They ask that the amount should be looked into; knowing fully well the amounts in the charges, stating that the fines should be increased.
The temporary the deal would see Ronaldo’s advisers not to be punished for the role they played in creating a interconnected companies in various countries to avoid €14.7m in taxes due on image rights revenue between 2011 and 2014. The Gestha stated that Ronaldo’s lawyers and financial advisers, who put together the escape plan, is said to have worked together in the tax crimes”.
In 2015 when the news of Ronaldo’s tax problems first broke, Gestha president Carlos Cruzado stated that the Real Madrid forward may have followed Lionel Messi in tax fraud. Before now Ronaldo and his representatives has never accepted the accusation, saying that all the taxes which are due to the Spanish tax authorities is up to date.
On July last year during a 90-minute court hearing, the Portiguese forward claimed that he was been framed by the Spanish authorities. According to Forbes valuation, Cristiano Ronaldo receives €80.1m a year, with almost half of that money coming from image rights deals with his many sponsors.
Recently Spanish courts have cast down superstars in world of football on avoiding paying of tax, and among them is Barcelona Lionel Messi who was given a 21-month prison sentence on same issue last year but, based on Spanish law, one can be able to trade the punishment for a fee (money).