Cristiano Ronaldo accused of defrauding Spanish tax authorities out of €14.7 million in tax payment

Portugal and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused by Madrid's criminal prosecution system of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities out of €14.7 million Euros in unpaid taxes.


The economic crime arm of Madrid's Provincial Prosecutor's Office filed a complaint on Tuesday against the current world footballer for allegedly committing four crimes between 2011 and 2014.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the prosecutor's office said the 32-year-old had knowingly used a "business structure" created in 2010 to hide his income in Spain from his image rights.

The statement said Ronaldo used what it deems a shell company in the Virgin Islands to "create a screen in order to hide his total income from Spain's Tax Office."

Ronaldo's agency had previously said he was up to date on his taxes. Last month, tax officials said he adjusted his tax declarations and paid an extra €6m in 2014.

The prosecution claims that during those four years Ronaldo would have avoided paying a grand total of €14.7m to the Spanish tax authorities.

In its brief, the prosecutor's office points out that crimes are caused by "hiding from the treasury the income generated in Spain by the image rights", which is a "voluntary and conscious" breach of one's tax obligations in Spain.