It’s a tough time to be a soccer player with ties to Spain – especially Barcelona.
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has been accused by Barcelona tax authorities of committing tax fraud in Spain. Sanchez, who will turn 28 this year, signed on to play with Arsenal in 2014 after playing several seasons with Barcelona beginning in 2011.
Sanchez joins fellow superstars Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Bayern Munich), Adriano (Beşiktaş), and Samuel Eto’o (Antalyaspor) in answering questions regarding alleged tax evasion in Spain. In most of those cases, tax authorities have accused the players of failing to report and pay tax on income related to image rights.
That’s what happened here as Barcelona tax authorities have accused Sanchez of failing to pay tax on nearly $1 million between 2012 and 2013. To conceal the income, prosecutors allege that Sanchez set up offshore companies in Chile and Malta. Sanchez’ connection to Chile is obvious: his birthplace is Tocapilla, Chile, and he has represented Chile at World Cup and Copa America events, winning the Golden Ball in 2016 when Chile bested Argentina in the Copa América Final. Malta has been accused of being a tax haven though it’s worth noting that it is not considered an uncooperative tax haven by the Committee on Fiscal Affairs of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) though, in fairness, no countries currently appear on the list.
Sanchez has denied the charges. Sanchez’ agent, Fernando Felicevich, took to Twitter to publicly denounce the allegations, saying, among other things that Sanchez “has paid taxes to all the local tax and revenue organizations.”
If he is found guilty, Sanchez could be fined or sentenced to prison. Even if he did receive a prison sentence, it’s unlikely he would spend a day behind bars. As with Mascherano and Messi, in Spain, those who receive a light prison sentence do not usually serve time unless the offense involves a violent crime or if the defendant is a habitual offender. Typically, a light sentence is one under two years. Messi, who received a 21-month prison sentence, will likely serve his sentence on probation pending the outcome of his appeal.
