Where sports and tax law collide — contracts, trades, endorsements, and the tax questions that come with playing (or owning) the game.
Goaaaaal! Football phenom, Lionel Messi, has reportedly scored in his battle against the Spanish authorities. The Spanish publication, El Periodico, has announced that the FC Barcelona star has reached an agreement with Spanish tax authorities and will not face tax charges. According to El Periodico, Messi has agreed to pay €15 million ($19,546,500 US) against…
A court date has been set for Spanish football Lionel Messi. The four-time World Player of the Year must appear in a Barcelona court on September 17 to answer to charges of tax fraud. The 26-year-old sports phenom, who hails originally from Argentina, made his debut on the world football stage in Barcelona in 2000…
The tale of New England Patriots owner and billionaire Robert Kraft and his XXXIX Super Bowl ring has taken a bizarre turn. At Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence gala at the Waldorf-Astoria awards ceremony on Thursday, Kraft discussed the history of the ring, claiming that it was stolen by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a…
A collective gasp went out from the sports world this week when Lionel Messi, together with his father, were accused by Spanish tax authorities of filing fraudulent tax returns for the years 2007-2009. Allegedly, the pair used a series of offshore companies to avoid nearly €4m ($5.3 million U.S.) in taxes attributable to licensing his…
The World Player of the Year for football (soccer for my American readers) is finding himself in the spotlight for reasons other than sports this week. Lionel Messi, together with his father, are facing accusation by Spanish tax authorities of filing fraudulent tax returns for the years 2007-2009. Criminal charges were filed today by prosecutor…
Things are turning around for the Yankees. Derek Jeter, who hasn’t played this season, made an appearance on the field today, taking a few practice swings. The team is 2nd in the AL East (and yes, their winning percentage is much better than my beloved Phillies who are a dismal 3rd in the NL East)….
I don’t golf. If you’ve ever met me in real life, you’d know this in a matter of minutes. I don’t have the patience for it. I can’t sit nicely and wait for my turn. I’m a bit loud. Also, I look terrible in polo shirts. So I’m not really your target audience for golf….
On jersey days at school, most kids show up wearing Eagles or Flyers jerseys. My kids? Philadelphia Union or Bayern Munich jerseys. We even have the scarves, balls, and banners – we’re largely a soccer family. It’s fun for the kiddos to play – and fun to watch. We’re hardly alone. Soccer is played by…
Who had the best holiday weekend? Looks like it might have been Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who signed a 6-year $108 million contract extension. Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner, president and general manager said about the signing: In today’s game, every NFL franchise understands the importance of production and continuity at the quarterback position, and,…
Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell never got that Super Bowl ring he wanted, despite making an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX, but he did land in some super trouble. Today, Mitchell pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to charges related to tax fraud. Mitchell was scheduled to go to trial on the charges…