Milan Court of Appeal found Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce guilty of tax evasion, which amounted to almost a billion euros. Famous Italian designers will have to pay a lot of money - 343 million euros.
Judicial and tax authorities have been watching the founders of the Dolce & Gabbana brand for quite some time. In early 2009, the Italian Ministry of Finance and Economics accused famous designers of organizing holdings in Luxembourg. According to prosecutors, trademark rights to the House were transferred to a foreign company at a reduced price. This fraud allowed managers to pay less taxes.
In 2011, due to a lack of necessary indictment, the case was suspended. But six months later, the Supreme Court decided to resume the case. The court ruling stated that tax evasion would now be considered a criminal offense. Previously, such misconduct was not assigned a criminal status. The final amount of the question was estimated at 840 million euros.
The constantly postponed review nevertheless got to the logical conclusion. In early 2013, the process resumed again and designers were ordered to stand trial. It has long been known that if judges plead guilty to Dolce and Gabbana, they face a five-year prison sentence or an impressive fine. He was chosen as the final form of punishment - fashion designers must pay the state 343 million euros.
