Brazilian tax bosses embargo Neymar's yacht and private jet
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 @ 10:29 AM
BARÇA FC's Neymar has seen his yacht, private jet and other assets totalling US$48 million seized by tax authorities as contingency for his possible fiscal liabilities.
The Brazilian 'golden boy', head-hunted from Santos FC to realise his dream of playing for the Spanish Premier League side, is on trial along with his father, Neymar Senior, for alleged tax evasion.
Both are very upset and insist they are innocent, with Neymar Junior arguing he had never entered into the financial side of his career and his father insisting he put everything in the hands of accountants.
Tax officials in Brazil are suing the player for 63.6 million reais, or just under €14.4m, for undeclared duties relating to his transfer from Santos to Barça and covering the tax years of 2011 and 2013.
According to authorities in Neymar's native country, the cash for the transfer was recorded as income from companies he owned rather than as wages.
Additionally, they claim he did not declare money earned from his 'image rights', or the use of his name and face as publicity for non-related firms.
They have seized assets of 150% of the value of the tax allegedly undeclared plus interest and fines, meaning the grand total comes to US$48m, or 192.7 million reais.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com