Neymar's £32M Assets Frozen Over Tax Evasion Case
FC Barcelona star Neymar may be flourishing on the field, but the same cannot be said to his outside problems. The Brazilian captain has had to deal with tax evasion charges in connection with an alleged £11 million tax evasion case, BBC reports.
The 24-year-old forward is being accused of purposely holding back earning declarations which were reportedly concealed through three companies that belong to his family.
According to the news outlet, prosecutors are accusing Neymar for purposely setting up the three companies in an effort to pay taxes at a lower rate. Such has resulted in the freezing of £32 million worth of assets by the Sao Paulo federal court which include a private jet, yacht and multiple properties over in Brazil.
The frozen assets were a safety just in case Neymar is found guilty of not paying his taxes, aside from also facing a fine estimated to be around 150 percent of the total amount due to the Brazilian revenue department, as reported by Telegraph.
The order to freeze the Brazilian’s assets started back in September 2015 and a move to appeal the decision was rejected just recently. A bulk of the amount in question were his earnings from 2011 to 2013, which were Neymar’s final two seasons with Santos as well as part of his transfer and stint to FC Barcelona.
Despite the row, Neymar can appeal the decision and is unlikely to face jail time, as revealed by the auditor of the federal tax agency.
"He can still appeal that decision, but it is a step forward," said Jungs Martins, auditor for Brazil’s federal tax agency via ESPN FC. "Nothing changed to what was in place last year: if he pays what he owes, the case is closed. Our legislation isn't too harsh."
Assuming he does somehow settle this row, Telegraph notes that there is another issue he faces in Spain. The Madrid Court has asked Neymar to appear last Feb. 2, where he is facing fraud charges in connection with his transfer from Santos to Barcelona.
The fraud accusations come from investment company DIS, who claims that they were cheated of their rightful share of the transfer deal worth about £44 million. Prosecutors claim that the amount should have been way more than that.
“I feel betrayed personally and economically. This was a trick between Barça, Santos, Neymar and his father” said Delcir Sonda, the Brazilian owner of DIS via the Telegraph.
Neymar has denied any wrongdoing and took to Instagram his take using a biblical quotation: “Christ gives me the strength to face anything”.
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