Police have been permitted to seize more than £2 million from Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan after they failed to pay tax on £21 million of revenue from their online businesses.
Tate, who had previously bragged about refusing to pay tax during his time in England, will see funds held in seven frozen bank accounts seized by Devon and Cornwall Police after a court ruling at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Sarah Clarke KC, representing the force, quoted from a video posted online by Andrew Tate in which he said: “When I lived in England I refused to pay tax.”
The court heard that he said his approach was “ignore, ignore, ignore because in the end they go away”.
The chief magistrate ruled in the force’s favour, finding that what appeared to be a “complex financial matrix” was actually a “straightforward cheat of the revenue”.
Paul Goldspring said the brothers had given the court no evidence relating to tax payments, but had insisted through their lawyers that the movement of the cash had been legitimate business activity.
In his written ruling, the judge said he was “satisfied” that the brothers had “engaged in long-standing, deliberate conduct in order to evade their tax”.
The force can seize £2,683,345 in total, including cryptocurrency.
Following the ruling, Andrew Tate said he had been the victim of “the matrix” and “outright theft”.
“It’s a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system,” he said in a statement.
“Speak against the matrix, and they’ll come for your freedom, your reputation, and your livelihood.”
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