Friday, November 12, 2021

Boris Johnson Holiday Villa Linked to Zac Goldsmith Firms Accused of Tax Evasion

THE GUARDIAN: Costa del Sol property firms owned by Goldsmith family ordered to pay €24m in unpaid taxes and fines

Zac Goldsmith (left) is a longstanding friend of Johnson and his wife, Carrie. In 2019, the PM personally appointed Goldsmith to the House of Lords.

The luxury villa where Boris Johnson stayed on holiday last month is linked to Costa del Sol property businesses owned by Zac Goldsmith’s family that engaged in a multimillion-pound tax evasion scheme, according to Spanish courts.

Court papers obtained by the Guardian show tax inspectors ordered two property companies owned by the Goldsmith family to pay €24m (£20m) in unpaid taxes and fines after investigating what they said was a suspicious property deal.

The tax authority’s findings have been upheld by one of Spain’s highest courts, with judges agreeing the companies effectively engaged in a deliberate effort to evade tax and committed “serious” violations of the law.

Documents indicate Spanish authorities are still seeking to recover the funds and could even seize parts of the family’s land, which is spread across more than 600 hectares (1,480 acres) of private woodland about 10 miles from the Marbella coastline. » | Harry Davies in Marbella | Friday, November 12, 2021