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Authorities in Brazil have frozen assets of belonging to Barcelona star, Neymar, his family and related businesses valued at 188.8 million Brazilian reals ($48 million).
Sao Paulo Federal Court on Friday disclosed that Neymar is alleged to have evaded 63 million reals in Brazil taxes (almost $16m or €14m) between 2011 and 2013.
The 23-year-old Brazil team captain moved in 2013 from Brazilian club Santos to Spain’s Barcelona in a transfer whose payment is also under investigation by Spanish tax authorities.
In a statement, Judge Carlos Muta said that Neymar declared assets worth only 19.6 million reals (a little less than $5m).
The judge says Neymar “is solely responsible for the income declaration.”
The court has ordered that 150 percent of the funds be frozen to ensure the payment of interests and fines for the alleged tax evasion, judicial sources in Brazil told Correio Braziliense on Friday.
The court said on Friday that it would also freeze assets of Neymar Sr. as well as the following companies: Neymar Sport e Marketing, N & N Consultoria Esportiva e Empresarial and N & N Administração de Bens Participações e Investimentos.
The court alleges that the taxes are more than 30 percent of what was initially declared by Neymar and could be as much as €55m.