Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is facing criminal charges in Spain amid allegations of tax evasion.
The Portuguese athlete, who plays for Spanish side Real Madrid, stands accused of trying to avoid paying more than $16 million in taxes between 2011 and 2014.
Madrid’s regional state prosecutor alleges Ronaldo used what appeared to be a shell company in the Virgin Islands to “create a screen in order to hide his total income from Spain’s tax office”.
Officials insist the new father-of-three “intentionally” failed to declare millions in profits related to image rights, and under-reported his income as $12.9 million during the three-year period in question, when it was actually almost $48 million, reports The Guardian.
Ronaldo’s representatives at the GestiFute agency have yet to respond to the charges, but in December (16), they released details of the sportsman’s finances in response to claims of tax evasion, insisting he was up to date on all of his payments.
Ronaldo, who was recently named by Forbes experts as the highest-paid athlete in the world, worth $93 million-a-year, faces five years behind bars if convicted, although it’s unlikely the 32-year-old will serve any time if he is found guilty.
Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, who plays for Barcelona, and his father Jorge were convicted of tax fraud in Spain last year (16) and handed 21-month jail sentences. However, they did not serve any time as they were both considered first-time offenders.
