Another French footballer on tax evasion radar
Switzerland is cooperating with French tax authorities over an investigation of alleged tax fraud involving former French footballer Marcel Desailly. The notice of Swiss cooperation was published on Tuesday in the Federal Gazette.
Desailly, captain of the French football team from 2000 to 2004, allegedly holds or has held assets with Swiss bank UBS. If he doesn’t want his data shared, he has the right to appeal to the Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen within 30 days.
He was a member of the 1998 World Cup-winning French team; that same year, the French government named him a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’honneur.
However, this is not the first time that Paris has requested banking details of French footballers from Switzerland. Swiss authorities had announced handing over banking information concerning former football stars Claude Makélélé and Patrick Vieira in May and June, respectively.
Requests for banking information are entertained under the double-taxation agreement between the two countries, which prevents the same funds being taxed twice and also serves to combat tax fraud.
