What is it with famous people dodging their taxes?! Uncle Sam is always watching!
Back in June, French designer duo Dolce and Gabbana were convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to one year and eight months in jail, and ordered to pay back approximately $670,000 a piece. This comes after the luxe designers sold their brands to a German holding company in 2004, enabling them to avoid higher tax rates.
Since the conviction the two have yet to give up without a fight, crying out their innocence while dually pleading for the public’s support. And in what could be one of their final desperate efforts, the dual designers have reported that they will most definitely have to forfeit their fashion house if forced to pay the hefty debt.
Here’s what Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana had to say in their recent interview with The Telegraph UK:
“If we deserved the sentence, there would be nothing to say….But we do not deserve it, and so unfortunately we would have to close.”
Fashion colleague Dolce added:
“We will close. What do you want us to do? We will close. We will not be able to deal with it. (It’s) Impossible.”
Last week, in symbolic three-day demonstration, the designers closed their Milan stores to protest the backlash they’ve received from the press. Fortunately shop employees were compensated for their absent work hours.
Hoping to move forward from this fashion fiasco Dolce and Gabbanna hope to meet with Milan’s Mayor (despite speaking out against the two in the media) in an aim to ease the tax evasion tension.
We are not going to give in to being crucified like thieves, because we are not,” said Gabbana. “How could we accept being branded tax evaders?”
Let’s hope for fashions sake the high-end designer comrades will be spared.
SOURCE: HUFFINGTON POST | PHOTO CREDIT: WENN
