Joins the likes of other high-profile Italian cyclists
Filippo Pozzato is under investigation for tax fraud by the Guardia di Finanza di Vicenza. The Italian took up residence in the tax-free haven of Monaco after signing with the Katusha team, but the tax authorities are claiming there are problems with his move to the tune of €2 million.
This isn’t the first time Italian cyclists have been the subject of a tax investigation. Compatriots Paolo Bettini and Mario Cipollini were both recently investigated for the identical circumstance. The decision on Bettini’s massive €11 million sum in question has yet to be handed down, but Cipollini was recently acquitted by the Court of Appeals in Florence, Italy. The court in his hometown of Lucca handed the Lion King a 22 month jail sentence for not paying taxes in 2003 and 2004, but he was able to prove his Monaco residency to the court’s satisfaction.
“I really live in Monaco,” Pozzato told the Gazzetta dello Sport acknowledging the investigation. “Moreover, I categorically deny the amount that is in dispute. I remain very calm because all I know is that there is nothing fictitious about me living in Monaco. I am convinced I can demonstrate my absolute good faith,” he concluded.