As he continues his stellar professional soccer career, Barcelona and Argentine star Lionel Messi is making headlines for allegedly defrauding more than $5 million in income tax returns from 2006 to 2009. Messi, the 2013 AP Soccer Player of the Year, is currently participating in World Cup qualifying with his native Argentina and while the Argentine national team is expected to be a serious competitor at next summer's tournament, this story surround the superstar will continue to be a hot topic of discussion.
According to El Periodico, Messi and his father Jorge are being sued by Spanish authorities for allegedly hiding commercial revenues throughout the aforementioned four-year period. The Barcelona newspaper also notes that authorities believe the funds were hidden through front companies in tax havens including Belize and Uruguay. Despite being sought after by various government figures, the 25-year-old Rosario, Argentina native vehemently denies all allegations, posting a statement on his Facebook page.
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"We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities, Messi wrote. "We are surprised about the news, because we have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation."
While Lionel Messi continues to deny any wrongdoing, Forbes recently reported that Angel Juarez -- Messi's council -- is apparently accepting all responsibility for his tax filing.
In a letter signed by Messi's "legal and fiscal council," lawyer Angel Juarez rejected the accusations, noting he is responsible for the star's tax filing and adding they will take all the proper legal steps to put the situation to rest. Juarez confirmed they hadn't been contacted by the prosecution.
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The complaint filed against the duo was signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado and was submitted for trial at a courthouse in Messi's hometown of Gava. As Yahoo Sports reports, Amado notes that Messi did in fact benefit from taking certain taxable funds, placing them along outside parties to separate them from being touched.
Amado stated that Messi "obtained significant revenue derived from the transfer to third parties of his image rights, income which should have been taxed." Accused of three counts of tax evasion, the soccer star and his father could face up to six years in prison if they're found guilty while also paying a substantial fine.
Lionel Messi battled injury throughout the season and despite not achieving 100 percent health, the phenom recorded 60 goals in all competition during the 2012-2013 season while leading Barca to the Spanish League title. Under Messi's guidance, the Argentine national soccer team is currently leading the South America qualifying group with 26 total points through 13 matches played. Colombia is next in the pool with 23 points followed by Ecuador and Chile, each holding 21 points.
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