The House of Beckham: Money, Sex and Power is the title of an explosive book that will get a lot of talk. As its title indicates, it promises to address a less than stellar side of the former footballer’s life. In particular, he lifts the veil on his relationship with money.
An obsessive relationship which would have pushed Victoria Beckham’s husband to dabble in illegality. According to Tom Bower, author of the book, the footballer regularly sought advice from several specialists in order to minimize the payment of his British taxes.
David Beckham, tax evader?
As reported
The Mirror, an accountant was able to go through the star’s accounts. He was very surprised to see the extent to which “opaque” financial arrangements had been found to legally avoid British taxes. The strategy found by the footballer to avoid paying (all) what he earned? As he was resident in Spain while at Real Madrid in 2003, he simply did not pay UK tax on taxes earned outside Britain. A legal method, but questionable, when we know the salaries paid by Real Madrid to its players…
David Beckham managed to travel outside of England often enough so as not to be considered a resident. So, he moved to America, played for a season in France, so as not to exceed the legal limit of 90 days per year in the United Kingdom.
Companies all over the place that do not declare all the amounts collected
Likewise, David Beckham owns many (too many?) companies, created under different names and whose purpose and financial movements are sometimes very… murky. “Over the years, the ownership of these companies – Footwork Productions, David Beckham Ventures, Victoria Beckham Ltd and numerous subsidiaries – and their inter-company dealings have intrigued even a keen forensic accountant about these companies”said Tom Bower in his book.
A book which also reveals that David Beckham’s Seven Global Holding Company Limited once “forgot” to declare taxes worth some $11.3 million. To be continued.
