Spain’s taxman wants Bayern Munich’s Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez to pay €11.65m ($13.64m) for evading taxes when he played at Real Madrid.
James, who moved to Bayern Munich in 2017, is accused of having evaded €6.35m in taxes, mainly linked to his image rights, and would have to pay that amount plus a fine and interests for a total of €11.65m, the El Mundo daily reported.
Citing sources close to the case, the El Mundo daily on Thursday said James was transferred to Real Madrid from Monaco for €80m mid-2014, but that year he registered as a non-resident.
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Tax authorities, though, reportedly believe he should have registered as a resident, which means he should settle the difference, or €6.35m, related to his salary and the sale of image rights.
Spain’s tax authorities refused to comment when contacted by AFP.
The 27-year-old, who won the Golden Boot for the top goal scorer in the 2014 World Cup, joins a long list of other players who have got on the wrong side of Spain’s taxman.
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Some have reached deals, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently moved to Juventus from Real Madrid and accepted to pay €18.8m and a two-year jail sentence he won’t have to serve.
FC Barcelona’s star Lionel Messi, though, went to court where he was fined €2.1m for tax fraud and given 21 months in jail, which was subsequently converted into another fine.
