Manchester United star Wayne Rooney will reportedly face a £3.5 million charge over his alleged involvement in a tax avoidance scheme.
The Manchester United captain has not made the best start to the season on the pitch. Manager Jose Mourinho has tried the 30-year-old in a number of positions, but to no avail. Of late, the Portuguese has opted to drop Rooney from his starting lineup and it has had a positive impact on the team.
Off the field too, the second-highest goalscorer in United’s history has been making the news for the wrong reasons. According to The Times, Rooney is facing a £3.5 million charge after tax authorities challenged a suspected avoidance scheme in which he was the largest investor. HM Revenue & Customs have told the United captain that they believe he is liable for the multi-million pound sum.
In fact, this is the fifth time in four years that Rooney has been alleged to be involved in a tax scam. According to Tom Witherow and James Burton of the Daily Mail, Rooney repaid £500,000 to the Revenue over an unnamed scheme last year. It is also reported that the 30-year-old used Invicta 43 to generate tax relief to shelter £12.5 million, enough to legally avoid tax on three years of salary.
Rooney reportedly pooled in £2.5 million and then borrowed a staggering £10 million from Bank of Scotland, leaving him liable for a potential upfront payment of £3.75 million. He is also understood to be one of the few investors who has not yet received a formal tax demand.
Speaking about the allegation to the Times, an anonymous investor said: “People are very worried. Some will be financially embarrassed. They will not be in a position to shelter the problem. It’s not just a case of losing the relief you claimed. It’s having to pay tax on the income later.”
However, the player’s spokesperson refused to make any comments about the issue and stated: “Wayne’s tax affairs have always been conducted in full compliance with the law.”
Rooney is set to captain the Three Lions as they take on Malta later today in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
