The lawyer for controversial influencer Andrew Tate has told a London court that payments to his online businesses were handled in a “perfectly orthodox” manner.
Police are seeking to claim £2.8 million in unpaid tax on the earnings of Mr Tate, his brother Tristan and a third person known as J.
The court heard the brothers were “serial” and “brazen” tax evaders – and had made £21million from online businesses including Only Fans – the website known for its pornographic content.
They were accused of setting up a “spaghetti trail” of bank accounts.
Martin Evans KC, representing the Tates, said on Tuesday the way their money was transferred was “perfectly orthodox”.
“There were transfers into the Tates account. That’s the beginning, middle and end of it all. What it’s not is a separation,” he told the court.
He said the couple did not “cheat” to obtain the money and should therefore be allowed to keep it.
Andrew Tate, 37, and Tristan, 35, were not in court for the two-day hearing.
They were arrested last December on charges of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang – charges they deny and for which they are due to stand trial in Romania.
Their bail conditions currently do not allow them to leave the European Union.
Sarah Clarke KC, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said they had not paid any tax in any country on their earnings.
She said the money was “transferred” to several bank accounts in the UK.
Mr Evans told the court: “Wash is not a banking term. The banking term is transfer. What happened was quite orthodox: a lot of transfers from the payment platform to the Tates.”
On Monday, Ms Clarke cited a video posted online by Andrew Tate, in which he said: “When I lived in England I refused to pay taxes.”
The court heard he said his approach was to “ignore, ignore, ignore, because in the end they go away”.
The court also heard that the brothers had “a large number of bank accounts” in the UK, seven of which have been frozen.
The proceedings are civil, which implies a lower standard of proof than in criminal cases.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring will decide on the balance of probabilities whether police have the right to freeze the £2.8 million worth of bank accounts and assets belonging to the Tates and J.
He said he would reserve judgment until a later date.
