10 - Lionel Messi - v4

[serghei]

Messi probably doesn't know shit about these things. He's into football, not into twisted financial schemes. He's not Gordon Gekko, you know. At the very worst he trusted the wrong people (not excluding his family here).

 

[Flavia]

If it's indeed an inactive company, from their previous accounting firm, there's nothing to worry about. It might have been set up for illegal use, but if no use came from it, there's no problem.

 

[Yannik]

So they are not done processing all the files yet? They released a partial list? More names to come?

Who gave the disk to SZ? And why did they give it to SZ?

What is the relationship between SZ and ICIJ?

AFAIK just a fraction has been leaked yet, the full list is still getting compiled, we've just been giving a "teaser" to the fancy names they've found so far.
The documents are reaching back to the 70s and they come from over 40 different branches of Mossack Fonseca. SZ has been given the raw files from an "unknown source", possibly an inside-man who doesn't want to be revealed.
The ICIJ is there to compile the whole list. Which makes sense, because it's a 2.6tb harddrive, with such an insane amount of data, that a "smaller" company such as SZ would need several decades to go through all of that.

 

[Luftstalag14]

This is the only part about Messi that I found in the PP, anybody saw anything more?

The world’s best soccer player, Lionel Messi, is also found in the documents. The records show Messi and his father were owners of a Panama company: Mega Star Enterprises Inc. This adds a new name to the list of shell companies known to be linked to Messi. His offshore dealings are currently the target of a tax evasion case in Spain.

Is that it?

 

[BarçaBarça]

Why do some of you appear to be so eager to slight Messi when there is no proof of the legitimacy of this so-called Panama Papers?

Can someone explain what is the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion by the way?

Tax "avoidance" is legal. It can be done by deducting certain things from you tax-payment (a lot of things is tax-deductible). Like charity-donations, and then you can get your total income lowered to a level where you have to pay less tax for example. It can also just be to delay the payment to later through different methods, which can be legal, if it is paid in the end.
Tax evasion would be if you deliberately lie about your income/profit and hide it elsewhere - that is illegal.

 

[ThwiX]

If it's indeed an inactive company, from their previous accounting firm, there's nothing to worry about. It might have been set up for illegal use, but if no use came from it, there's no problem.

Still, a lot of damage is already done. His name is being used on pretty much every online newspaper etc. at the moment because of this case.

 

[Flavia]

This is the only part about Messi that I found in the PP, anybody saw anything more?

Is that it?

Yes, that's it. And Messi already stated that offshore company was never used, an inactive company, from their previous accounting firm structure. if that's true, there's nothing to worry about.

 

[6 Ballons for Messi]

Wait, what....Putin, Messi, Panama...is it WWIII?

Let's join the Messi nation that will form after ww3.

 

[Flavia]

Still, a lot of damage is already done. His name is being used on pretty much every online newspaper etc. at the moment because of this case.

Well, they did set up the company there. But they'll sue the paper that claimed they made illegal transactions with it. All they can do now is try to sound as loud as they can about it.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Tax "avoidance" is legal. It can be done by deducting certain things from you tax-payment (a lot of things is tax-deductible). Like charity-donations, and then you can get your total income lowered to a level where you have to pay less tax for example. It can also just be to delay the payment to later through different methods, which can be legal, if it is paid in the end.
Tax evasion would be if you deliberately lie about your income/profit and hide it elsewhere - that is illegal.

Thanks, I appreciate that. But don't some companies transfer profit to subsidiaries in other countries, and some companies even move their headquarters to other countries etc. to lower their tax rate and all of above is considered legal tax avoidance?

What I meant was, I think there is a lot of grey in what is considered what is legal and illgeal and certainly what is right vs. what is wrong in the world of avoiding to pay taxes.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Yes, that's it. And Messi already stated that offshore company was never used, an inactive company, from their previous accounting firm structure. if that's true, there's nothing to worry about.

Well, my impression after seeing all the hoopla and hysteria that some folks here are partially responsible for creating and then actually reading the source was "What the heck? Is that it??"

So it is just one more "shell company" that Messi's family allegedly created that was not known before? If so, I don't see how this finding changes the overall story and narrative all of sudden.

Of course, the sentimental damage is very real. Messi's and our (Barca's) detractors will use this to no end to create distractions for us.

 

[Yannik]

Since we're at it, Just saw that the ICIJ does actually have a game on their website where you can reenact tax evasion.

https://panamapapers.icij.org/stairway_tax_heaven_game/

 

[Flavia]

Well, my impression after seeing all the hoopla and hysteria that some folks here are partially responsible for creating and then actually reading the source was "What the heck? Is that it??"

So it is just one more "shell company" that Messi's family allegedly created that was not known before? If so, I don't see how this finding changes the overall story and narrative all of sudden.

Of course, the sentimental damage is very real. Messi's and our (Barca's) detractors will use this to no end to create distractions for us.

el confidential and la sexta(rm papers) published stories about how that company was setup to evade taxes and so on... Messi is suing them for that. Guess many fell for it, as it seemed shady. Messi's camp also took their time to say something about it.

 

[6 Ballons for Messi]

This may go south, it is something possible regarding messi, they are not gonna arrest putin even if it's true about him which I doubt it.
They will want to make a paradigm out of someone famous and that might be messi.
I could see him going to an arab team, they can promise him their banks to deposit his money safely.

 

[Luftstalag14]

One thing is for sure, this will create more distractions for Messi ahead of the all-too-important CL quarter-finals and this weekend's crucial game at Anoeta.

I don't see why this will force him out though, it has nothing to do with how the club stands by him or Spain. If anything this was his family's doing.