SamConquer: The Reason Why I Love The Western World in particular and Develop Countries in General Is That, ''You can't Sin and go Free,irrespective Of who You are,If You are not caught immediately,Someday Somehow in the Future Your Sin of the past will hunt You,and the Punishment You duly deserve will be given to You''.Lionel Messi You think the way You Use Your Left Foot On the Pitch To Deceive GoalKeepers and Player,you think you Can replicate that with the Spanish Government abi?Na Lie o. ***Continue Puffing My Expensive Cuban Cigar***

oh o just like bill clinton pardoned hundreds of criminals accused of tax frauds,financial crime etc and also how some european government are partial in justice delivery abi.guy u are making a huge mistake saying western and developed countries are fair in purnishing a criminal.i can bet my nokia x2-01 dat we wont hear anything about dis case

make dem free my guy jor, that nuisance Raquel Amado dey fyd fame, okay, I've know your name na! Next..

Just join Chelsea straight to avoid all these money wahala...with Chelsea, u know say monee nor be problem...obidi p'on bede

ekwah: Messi and his father are suspected of using companies abroad - in Belize and Uruguay - to sell the rights to use the footballer's image.

The accusation is that by using companies based outside Spain where he lives and plays club football, Messi and his father avoided paying more than 4m euros in tax...

4 million Euros no be beans, me too go try avoid am if e no dey illegal? Even if he did it, I don't really see what is wrong? It's his image so...

Tell them.

4m euros for tax only.

Just converted it to Naija and am seeing the quoted figure " 850048000.0000"

Nawaaaaaaa for Spain govt.

Abegi!!! What is this again? Na so them dey always try to squeeze money out of celebraties as the state dan dey suffer from economic crisis. Make them go sidan jo....

Bash Me: [size=20pt]Ehen, he shud come to England to join ChelseaFC na....[/size]

Chelsea do not sign fraudsters!

krisokuweh: Dey re thieves in Spain. Messi is wise enough to do business out side n evade d so called tax. Wat is dia business if he decides to use company outside Spain to do his business. Did Spain made him world footballer or rather he has made dem earn more money in Spain. Hisssssssssss

Tell haters.

ekwah: 4 million Euros no be beans, me too go try avoid am if e no dey illegal? Even if he did it, I don't really see what is wrong? It's his image so...

LOL. You don't know how taxation works. For your information, Messi is a citizen of Spain. And he works in Spain. Even if he worked abroad, being a Spanish citizen, he will have to pay tax. That's their law.

Hello,cn i hear someone say witch hunting...hit u like buttonz*naija*

Some of you are jus gullible or either plain dumb. D report reads dat he is being investigated for fraud not convicted of fraud. And already Gaynaldo fans are already all over d place running their mouth.

logica: LOL. You don't know how taxation works. For your information, Messi is a citizen of Spain. And he works in Spain. Even if he worked abroad, being a Spanish citizen, he will have to pay tax. That's their law.

this is where the grey area is.....if the company which owns the right for his image is located in Belize, then this company should pay tax of that revenue (from Barca) in Belize, NOT Spain!

what they are doing is what most wealthy people do to avoid paying too much taxes, who are they kidding?! his direct salary is taxed in Spain and thats it. the rest must be proven by the courts or whoever thinks he is cheating the taxman.

MRbrownJAY:

this is where the grey area is.....if the company which owns the right for his image is located in Belize, then this company should pay tax of that revenue (from Barca) in Belize, NOT Spain!

Well, I am not sure any other company other than Barca FC can claim to own his image rights. And of course, Barca FC is based in Barcelona.

princetunex:
Chelsea do not sign fraudsters!

[size=20pt]Maybe ur right afterall..... , wia is ma popcorn sef?[/size]

logica: Well, I am not sure any other company other than Barca FC can claim to own his image rights. And of course, Barca FC is based in Barcelona.

come on man, educate yourself....many players have their image rights as part of their wages (some even own their image rights outright). so creating such a company to pay the player (thus making that player skip on the taxman is a nice scheme). remember, if a player earns his image rights then he pays 50-60% of his wages as a high earner, BUT, if a company owns these rights then that company simply pay corporate tax which is taxed much MUCH less than 50%. ....and here is the catch: if that company is registered abroad then they pay NOTHING!

here is a clear example for you: the image rights for Wayne Rooney are owned by a company (Stoneygate), which is NOT Man U.

MRbrownJAY:

come on man, educate yourself....many players have their image rights as part of their wages (some even own their image rights outright). so creating such a company to pay the player (thus making that player skip on the taxman is a nice scheme). remember, if a player earns his image rights then he pays 50-60% of his wages as a high earner, BUT, if a company owns these rights then that company simply pay corporate tax which is taxed much MUCH less than 50%. ....and here is the catch: if that company is registered abroad then they pay NOTHING!

here is a clear example for you: the image rights for Wayne Rooney are owned by a company which is NOT Man U.

So where is the need for education? I clearly stated that it is MORE LIKELY that his image rights are owned by Barca. What part of that don't you understand?

krisokuweh: Dey re thieves in Spain. Messi is wise enough to do business out side n evade d so called tax. Wat is dia business if he decides to use company outside Spain to do his business. Did Spain made him world footballer or rather he has made dem earn more money in Spain. Hisssssssssss

Mi Amigo. The westerners have this policy that once you are resident in their Country and eking most of your living from their perimeter of Soveriegnity as at the business started existing when your residence began; that you are liable to a worldwide tax on all your income even if the business doesnt physical exist in their country esp United State. Some other states that permit dual citizenship also tax worldwide income like Spain. Some tax only domestic income like most Asian and African countries. Specifically this tax policy was designed to track royalties of celebrities and intangible assests. They wont ask for tax of your foreign supermarket but your own share of the income. Moreover Image rights falls into intangible assests and can be cited that its value accrues from his exploits in Spain. Personally i believe there would be a loophole for him to escape and start salvaging his image. He can easily hire a better lawyer than the state plus he is a messiah.

SamConquer: LORD JAGARA:Major what can You say to this MAJOR TORINO:My Lord,I am Surprise o,I Never Knew that Short Man was a Crook. LORD JAGARA:.**nodding Head**The Wonders Short Men Do Surprise the Tall Ones. MAJOR TORINO.:Hahahaha My Lord is that a philosophical statment,any way I Concur.

boring duh

logica: So where is the need for education? I clearly stated that it is MORE LIKELY that his image rights are owned by Barca. What part of that don't you understand?

Barca do not own his image rights, thats a no brainer. his image rights are owned by a company called Sport Consultants Ltd, and part of Messi's family (mother/father etc) owns most shares in this company (as well as some other shell companies)

MRbrownJAY:

Barca do not own his image rights, thats a no brainer. his image rights are owned by a company called Sport Consultants Ltd, and part of Messi's family (mother/father etc) owns most shares in this company (as well as some other shell companies)

Good, now how does this stop him from paying tax being a citizen of Spain? Remember it does not matter whether or not the company is based in Spain.

BTW, the story below is what probably alerted the tax auditors:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/lionel-messis-mother-wins-court-case-over-sons-image-rights-when-judge-rules-she-was-ripped-off/story-e6frf423-1226337640488#.UbilL3VDv8s

logica: Good, now how does this stop him from paying tax being a citizen of Spain? Remember it does not matter whether or not the company is based in Spain.

ok listen carefully "again"...... if the company who owns the right to Messi's image is registered in Belize, then whatever money they make from his image worldwide will be taxed in BELIZE, not Spain!

the catch is that the taxman will try to prove that this company is still owned by Messi, even if his name is not on the registration papers (and thus since he lives in Spain should pay tax in Spain for it).

MRbrownJAY:

ok listen carefully "again"...... if the company who owns the right to Messi's image is registered in Belize, then whatever money they make from his image worldwide will be taxed in BELIZE, not Spain!

the catch is that the taxman will try to prove that this company is still owned by Messi, even if his name is not on the registration papers.

Now you listen, does Messi get paid from his image rights or not by the said company? Now, is the payment that accrues to him taxable by Spain or not? That is the point here.

Scarpon: that his father and not Messi

His father is his manager, so any offence that concerns tax fraud must involve both of them.

COOLDUN:


His father is his manager, so any offence that concerns tax fraud must involve both of them.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Go ask Wesley Snipes.

DIs this short messi a theif or what ? Fifa and all football governing bodies must look into this and make him pay.mmmmaaaaaaaaaaadddd mmmaaaaaaaaannnnn

obadiah777: WELL DAYUMMM FRAUD ? MESSI ? WHO KNEW MESSI WAS A 419 MAN EH ?

I'm not sure if u really passed tru education.....or may be hatred has taking ur understanding and thinking faculty cos Messi has not been charged already.well, ℓ̊'m nt surprised sha cos they said Ŝąѧє thng abt Samuel Eto and which the tax authority were charged for misinformation and blackmailing.....Messi's hater,continue to rant on nairaland,it will not move mountain.

All of u will still be alive when He will be vindicated of d useless information......Messi and His Fans don't make stupid noises,wait till then

Scarpon: that his father and not Messi

you dey mind them... Abi na jointstock?

Scarpon: that his father and not Messi

you dey mind them?

logica: Now you listen, does Messi get paid from his image rights or not? Now, is the payment that accrues to him taxable by Spain or not? That is the point here.

come on bro, the company who owns the right for his image is the only one who gets paid for his image, nobody else....and if Messi "indirectly" owns the company then he doesnt have to pay himself, he can just keep the money abroad (or transfer it to Argentina) this is why this scheme is so special to athletes etc. Messi (and the likes) have such companies in place before they sign contracts with teams, and thus straight from the get go, any fee for the players image rights are paid into these companies coffers (or directly to the team if they own part of the rights), thus making them save MILLIONS in tax money! many teams will demand some %age of the image rights but it is all down to negotiations and how desperate a team is. thats why some players can retain full rights of their image.

the SPANISH taxman has no power over a company registered in Belize, unless they can prove that the company is held by a SPANISH citizen residing in SPAIN.

According to goal.com: "if Messi is found guilty he is going to spend maximum of six years in prison".....dt means Messi might break d record of becoming d first Ballond'oor Best player to be jailed.......though im not his fan but i wish him success in dt court process.

Leemak: According to goal.com: "if Messi is found guilty he is going to spend maximum of six years in prison".....dt means Messi might break d record of becoming d first Ballond'oor Best player to be jailed.......though im not his fan but i wish him success in dt court process.

Forget that one. They will settle, and that is if he is liable.

MRbrownJAY:

come on bro, the company who owns the right for his image is the only one who gets paid for his image, nobody else....and if Messi "indirectly" owns the company then he doesnt have to pay himself, he can just keep the money abroad (or transfer it to Argentina) this is why this scheme is so special to athletes etc. Messi (and the likes) have such companies in place before they sign contracts with teams, and thus straight from the get go, any fee for the players image rights are paid into these companies coffers (or directly to the team if they own part of the rights), thus making them save MILLIONS in tax money! many teams will demand some %age of the image rights but it is all down to negotiations and how desperate a team is. thats why some players can retain full rights of their image.

the SPANISH taxman has no power over a company registered in Belize, unless they can prove that the company is held by a SPANISH citizen residing in SPAIN.

Anyway the company is in Gibraltar. I wonder if they have any arrangements due to its proximity to Spain. And there is no way Messi cannot claim he does not derive any income from this company. And if he's not been paying tax on that accrued income, he's in a sticky situation. It is tax evasion any how you dice it; because even money made abroad by a Spanish citizen is not tax free. He has to remit to his "home" IRS.