A British court has ruled that police are permitted to seize over 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) from influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan to cover years of unpaid taxes. The Devon and Cornwall Police force took legal action to claim the funds, which were held in seven frozen bank accounts belonging to the Tates and another individual identified only as J.
During the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring determined that the financial activities of the brothers, including transferring $12 million into an account under J's name, constituted a clear attempt to deceive tax authorities. The court was informed by the police force's lawyer that the Tates had evaded paying taxes on 21 million pounds in revenue generated from their various online ventures, such as War Room, Hustlers’ University, Cobra Tate, and OnlyFans, spanning from 2014 to 2022.
It was revealed that Andrew Tate, a 37-year-old former kickboxer with a substantial online following, openly admitted in a video posted online that he had refused to pay taxes while residing in England. The defense lawyer for the brothers argued that the bank transfers in question were standard practices for individuals operating online businesses.
The legal proceedings are civil in nature, requiring a lower burden of proof compared to criminal cases. Magistrate Goldspring had to determine, based on the balance of probabilities, whether the Tates had indeed engaged in tax evasion. In addition to the tax-related issues, Andrew and Tristan Tate are facing criminal charges in Romania, including allegations of human trafficking. Once the extradition proceedings in Romania conclude, they are expected to be brought back to the U.K. to face further legal actions.
Both brothers have vehemently denied all the accusations leveled against them. Andrew Tate, who holds dual British-U.S. citizenship and has been banned from several social media platforms due to hate speech and misogynistic content, has a significant online presence with over 10 million followers.
