Footballer Alexis Sanchez Sentenced For Tax Fraud

Alexis Sanchez was accused of evading €1m (£890,000) in 2012 and 2013 whilst playing for Barcelona. He used a company in Malta in order to avoid being taxed on image rights. However, he has now accepted a 16-month prison sentence for committing the fraud.

Fernando Felicevich, Sanchez’s agent, have since stated that the alleged crimes committed have been used for a long time by countless players, in agreement with the most prestigious clubs in Spain and that they have been using a legitimate and tacit form of taxation and expressly admitted by the Treasury of Spain in the past.

Despite having shown that Alexis has not committed any crime, Alexis have been obliged under the recommendation of his advisers to accept the agreement offered.

Therefore, Alexis has agreed to pay the money he owes with interest. As he is a first-time offender, he won’t be spending time in jail. This is because under the Spanish law, a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation.

Alexis’ sentence follows a sequence of high-profile footballers who have been investigated for tax fraud. This includes Jose Mourinho, Christian Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who received a 21-month sentence that was reduced to £223,000 fine for tax fraud that’s worth £2.7m to the Spanish tax authorities.