Motor Sport: Former MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will pay €35million to Italy's tax agency after coming to an agreement following a lengthy investigation.
The 28-year-old will pay €19m for the period 2001-2004
with payments for 2005 and 2006 making the total figure around
€35m.
"I am happy with how this issue has been resolved. It is a
high figure but it is more important to be calm, serene and happy,"
he told a news conference today in his home province of Pesaro on
Italy's east coast.
The winner of seven world titles had been investigated for
tax evasion linked to his decision in 2000 to take up residence in
Britain and still spend time in Italy.
The Yamaha rider could have faced a bill for as much as
€112m but said that was "a threat to start talks". He will
now declare taxes for 2007 in Italy, where he is planning to move
to permanently.
"I had already decided to return to Italy. I couldn't return
and have problems with Italian tax," he said, joking that he would
not move back in with his mum. "Now I'm grown up."
Rossi is one of a number of high-profile Italian sports
personalities to have their tax payments closely scrutinised.
New England soccer coach Fabio Capello is being investigated
for Italian tax fraud with a legal source saying last month that
officials were seeing if "millions" had gone undeclared.
Capello has said his finances are in order.
Italy was shocked when news broke of Rossi's tax problems
last August. He is one of the country's highest earning sportsmen
and rivals top footballers when it comes to sponsorship deals.
At the time he said his advisors had assured him they had
respected the rules when filing his taxes. Rossi, without a title
since 2005, has since parted company with his manager.