Spanish Football Player Exonerated of Tax Evasion

Leo Messi, forward for Barcelona, has been exonerated in his tax fraud case by two tax office experts. The experts testified to the court that the Argentine did not take any part in the management of his image rights and, thus, was unknowingly not paying taxes that were to have been paid by his advisers.

The Spanish tax authority believed that Leo and his father had failed to pay taxes for 2007, 2008 and 2009, and accused the father and son of tax evasion. The tax officials who originally condemned Messi, now believe that he had no knowledge of the unpaid taxes.

However, the defense continues to pursue Jorge Messi, who is also Leo’s agent, for the charges as they are convinced he is the one who was attempting to defraud tax authorities. Messi paid a reparatory payment in the beginning of September to avoid a bond being set and also as an act of good faith, which appears to have worked in his favor.