Soccer Star Will Have to Go to Trial for Alleged Tax Evasion
The ongoing tax saga of soccer star Lionel Messi will continue. That news comes after a judge in Spain ruled that the Barcelona FC star would indeed have to stand trial for tax fraud charges in association with his many endorsement deals with foreign companies. The news comes just days after a report stated that Mr. Messi would not have to go to trial, and that only his father would face the courtroom.
Not So Fast
However, the Spanish judge ruled otherwise and said that Mr. Messi and his father should both have to go to trial. Even though his lawyers argued that Mr. Messi did not have any hands-on dealings with his endorsement contracts, the judge ruled that he “couldn’t have ignored” that a large part of his revenue was coming from foreign companies. If he is convicted, the soccer star could receive a sentence for as long as 22 months.
No Jail Time Likely
However, the good news for Mr. Messi is that even if he is found guilty of the charges he will most likely not spend any time behind bars. That’s because sentences for financial crimes shorter than two years are typically suspended according to Spanish law. In addition, Mr. Messi and his father have reportedly either already paid, or have agreed to pay, the missing tax money, plus interest.
Deducting Job Search Expenses
Deducting Job Search Expenses If you or someone in your family is looking for a new job, you should be aware of the income tax deduction that may be available with respect to job-search costs. Qualifying expenses are deductible even if they don’t result in a new position being offered or accepted. What are job…
Investing in India: Big Splashes and Little Drops
Investing in India: Big Splashes and Little Drops By Elizabeth Bowden-David Last week at our breakfast table here in India, the local business newspaper offered a back-to-back pair of attention-grabbing headlines. First, the homegrown e-retailer Flipkart announced that it had secured $1 billion in fresh capital to support its expansion strategy. The very next day,…
Most Retirement Plan Dollar Limits Increase for 2007
Most Retirement Plan Dollar Limits Increase for 2007 IRS has announced the 2007 cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement plans. Many of the limits applicable to pension, and other retirement plans, increase for 2007. For most of the limitations, the increase in the cost-of-living index met the statutory thresholds that trigger their adjustment. Increased limits. The…
Banks Are Reaping the Benefits From Inversions
Banks Are Reaping the Benefits From Inversions Up until now, most of the attention regarding tax inversions has been put on the companies that have been choosing to make these deals. After all, it’s the companies that are saving a bunch of money on their taxes and supposedly cheating the U.S. Treasury out of more…