Tax inspectors checking on Spanish football stars

Ramos, Casillas, Alonso, Iniesta, Xavi and Piqué, among the watched

'Gerard Piqué for H.E. by Mango'

MADRID -- According to El Mundo, several of Spain's most international footballers are being investigated because it is believed that many of the companies they have created to exploit their image register very little or no trading activity. However, as the result of a so-called 'political pact', since 1996 footballers can receive 15% of their club salaries via companies controlling their image rights. Nevertheless, the tax authorities are of the opinion that most of these companies have no real commercial activity of any kind. The remaining 85% of the remuneration is taxed at the tyop rate (56% in Catalonia and 52% in most of the rest of the country), while the exceptions (the 15%) are taxed at company rates, which was at 30% in 2014. Hacienda (the Treasury) is not seeking to charge anyone with tax evasion or anything similar as there is no indication of intentional fraud, but is demanding that the players pay the difference between one tax rate and the other for the last four years. Experts consulted by El Mundo think that Hacienda's change of mind is nothing more than an 'excess of zeal' on its part.