Spain taxman drops accusations against James Rodriguez

Bayern Munich’s Columbian midfielder James Rodriguez celebrates his goal during the German First division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen in Munich, on September 15, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Guenter SCHIFFMANN / 

Spain’s taxman has dropped accusations that Colombia’s James Rodriguez evaded millions of euros in taxes when he played at Real Madrid, the El Mundo daily reported Tuesday.

The newspaper revealed in July that tax authorities accused the Bayern Munich midfielder of having evaded 6.35 million euros ($7.4 million) in taxes and would have to pay that amount plus a fine and interests for a total of 11.65 million euros.

They reportedly said James was transferred to Real Madrid from Monaco for 80 million euros mid-2014, but that he registered as a non-resident that year and should have registered as a resident.

But the 27-year-old’s lawyers, according to El Mundo, submitted new documents that saw tax authorities drop their accusations.

They are still demanding he pay four million euros for “a technical difference in criteria” in his tax return.

Tax authorities refused to confirm the information when contacted by AFP.

A lot of players have fallen foul of Spanish tax authorities in recent years.

Some have reached deals, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who accepted to pay 18.8 million euros and receive a two-year jail sentence he won’t have to serve.

Spanish tax authorities eventually reduced the amount he had to pay to 16.7 million euros, El Mundo reported.

FC Barcelona’s star Lionel Messi, though, went to court where he was fined 2.1 million euros for tax fraud and given 21 months in jail, which was subsequently converted into another fine.