Breaking: Ronaldo risks 12 month sentence, €8m fine over tax fraud
The Real Madrid star is set to join Lionel Messi in the ranks of Spanish players accused of dodging the taxman, as he is accused of hiding a whole €8 million between the years 2011 and 2013.
He is reported to have incorrectly declared revenue relating to his image rights in those two years.
It appears that this would come under tax fraud, not evasion, as Ronaldo allegedly tried to sort the situation out before the Spanish tax authorities could investigate.
It will now be up to a judge to decide what to do, though he has until June 30th to avoid the expiration of the statute of limitations. It seems that Ronaldo himself will be summoned to the witness stand.
The Real Madrid star will have to pay the €8 million back, plus a heavy fine. If he is found guilty of fraud, however, he could be handed a twelve-month sentence, i.e. four months for each year (2011, 2012 and 2013) in which the crime was perpetrated.
@EdoDalmonte