Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces confidence vote defeat in parliament
- A British court has granted police permission to seize over 2.6 million pounds from Andrew and Tristan Tate for unpaid taxes.
- The ruling came after the Devon and Cornwall Police argued that the brothers engaged in deliberate tax evasion.
- Andrew Tate condemned the seizure as government theft, highlighting growing tensions with tax authorities.
In the UK, a court decision was made on December 18, 2024, allowing police to seize over 2.6 million pounds from Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan due to years of unpaid taxes. The ruling followed a case brought by the Devon and Cornwall Police, which argued that the Tates had evaded tax through a series of financial maneuvers, including transferring substantial funds into accounts associated with a woman identified as J. The Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring stated that the financial dealings represented a deliberate and long-term effort to cheat tax authorities. The Tates were accused of failing to pay taxes on approximately 21 million pounds earned from various online businesses between 2014 and 2022. This includes popular ventures like War Room, Hustlers' University, Cobra Tate, and OnlyFans. The police contended that the brothers’ actions categorized them as 'serial' tax evaders, actively engaged in tax evasion tactics. Andrew Tate expressed outrage over the court's decision, labeling the actions of the government as 'outright theft' and claiming it represents an attack on those challenging the system. The court proceedings were civil in nature, which required a lower standard of proof compared to criminal charges. Goldspring's ruling was based on a balance of probabilities regarding the Tates' intent to evade tax. A key part of the legal argument cited included a video from Andrew Tate in which he explicitly stated his refusal to pay taxes while living in England. Both brothers remain embroiled in additional criminal allegations in Romania that include human trafficking and gang formation, and they face further charges domestically in the UK. Following the ruling, police officials declared their ongoing commitment to revealing the financial crimes attributed to the Tates. The police referred to the frozen funds, totaling nearly 2.7 million pounds, as indicative of a serious effort to evade taxes and launder money through UK-based bank accounts. With a 28-day appeal window now in effect, it remains uncertain how the Tates will respond legally to this ruling.