The Man in Black, beaten by the Treasury: Justice takes his reason after his last trick

Pablo Ibáñez Pérezbetter known as The Man in Black The Anthill, left the program Pablo Motos in 2017, just when the Tax Agency notified him of a series of claims for irregularly declaring the 696,750 euros that he earned between 2011 and 2014 for his work on television. The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid states that “the sanction is correct”.

The magistrates have rejected Ibáñez's attempt to overthrow the Treasury inspection against his companyas reported this Friday The confidential. The sentence states that “the guilt is proven and motivated” by the former collaborator of The Anthill to collect through a company of which he was the sole partner and administration, Burlesque Noir, which lacked “material and human resources.”

The TSJM considers that Ibañez tried to avoid paying personal income tax and instead pay a much smaller amount through corporate tax. The company's main clients were the companies managed by Motos, which billed “for the very personal services of his partner as a collaborating journalist, identified as the Man in Black, in the art section of the Antena 3 television program “The Anthill”. 111,100 euros in 2011, 152,700 in 2012, 202,000 in 2013 and 230,950 in 2014. Burlesque Noir paid Ibáñez for his “work output” and that was the only amount that was subject to personal income tax: 137,504 of the 696,750 euros.

The Treasury assessed that Burlesque Noir had paid too much in corporate tax and that he had fallen short in personal income tax. The TSJM ruling, which is not yet final, focuses on that first battle around his company: “Result to return 4,769.69 euros”.

Burlesque Noir attempted to deduct “goods and services unrelated to business activity” between 2012 and 2014 through input VAT contributions. The Treasury reviewed the purchases and claimed 46,187 euros, imposing another 19,751 as a penalty. These purchases range from “consumption in bars and restaurants” to acquisitions of Hugo Boss, Benelux, Giorgio Armani, Leroy Merlín, El Corte Inglés, among other brands.