Problems for Barcelona as Neymar is accused of tax evasion in Brazil

February 3, 2016
By: Milos Markovic

NeymarAnother legal issue for Barcelona players as Brazilian starlet Neymar has been hit by tax evasion and forgery accusations in him homeland.

Sao Paulo’s state prosecution recommended Neymar should be charged for tax evasion and forgery due to alleged fraudulent use of Neymar’s image rights from as early as 2006, as well as due to Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona, reports Guardian.

Brazil captain Neymar, his father Neymar St, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rossel are all accused of evading taxes and misrepresentation as to ‘abolish taxes owed to the IRS of Brazil’.

Sao Paulo’s public prosecutor are willing to take the four men to the federal court and it is now upon a judge to decide whether the case will be taken forward.

Prosecutors claim that Neymar was obliged to pay 27.5 per cent in income tax for any money received from the promotional work. Neymar signed several contracts with Santos and Barcelona to carry out the publicity work, but the funds were apparently funnelled through companies owned by Neymar Sr. and the tax rate paid was only 12.53%.

“They forged a series of documents between 2006 and 2013 with the intention of reducing the taxes owed to the inland revenue in Brazil. Neymar’s conduct, along with the others accused, caused millions in losses to the public coffers,” reads the Brazilian prosecution’s statement.

Neymar and his father appeared in front of a Spanish judge earlier on Tuesday to give evidence about the alleged irregularities surrounding his transfer to Spain is 2013, which is also the subject of the investigation.

Barcelona starlet defended himself on his website on Monday claiming that prosecution was ‘seeking the limelight’.

The Spanish champions are preparing themselves for the trip to Levante on Sunday and Neymar is expected to be in the starting line-up for the clash. The Catalans are standing at 1.67 (4/6) @Ladbrokes to win at both half-time and full-time in this encounter.

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