Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri is facing a tax audit in France caused in part by his Deliveroo orders.
Nasri is officially a tax resident in Dubai, where his taxation is almost non-existent. However, the French tax authorities are investigating following accusations that he actually resides in Paris.
According to an investigation by Les Échos, one of the main elements held by the French authorities against the 38-year-old player, who wore the French team jersey 41 times during a brilliant career, is his Deliveroo history, which has more than 200 orders.
Deliveroo and air data: the evidence against Nasri
The French tax authorities are examining the possibility that Nasri owes the French state more than 5.51 million euros, including 5.25 million euros in income tax for the years 2020 to 2022.
These accusations could have serious consequences for Nasri. The tax authorities obtained the seizure of his property in Paris, a decision confirmed by the Paris High Court on March 12, while the former Arsenal player’s bank accounts were frozen.
Among the main pieces of evidence collected by French authorities according to Les Echos are airline documents showing that he spent between 126 and 208 days a year in France between 2021 and 2023, compared to just 42 to 124 days in the United Arab Emirates.
This source also reports that he had 212 meals delivered to his Parisian account via Deliveroo. Additionally, Nasri’s contract with Canal Plus requiring him to record between 40 and 45 shows between September 2021 and June 2022, is presented as additional evidence.
Nasri appeals court decision
Nasri’s lawyers said the court’s decision to seize his assets in Paris was appealed. In addition, they questioned the legality of the precautionary seizure without an enforceable judgment. Lyes Kaci, interviewed by Les Echos as an expert in international tax law, believes that the evidence made public to date is far from sufficient to convict Nasri.
“Be careful not to draw hasty conclusions”he warns. “The merits of the matter are far from being settled. At this point, it would be a little too easy to conclude that Nasri is a French tax resident based solely on the arguments of the tax administration; especially since the court’s decision establishes neither the nature nor, above all, the origin of the income subject to the tax review of the former footballer. »
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