The Devon and Cornwall Police sought legal action to confiscate funds held in seven frozen bank accounts linked to the Tates and a woman identified only as J. During a session at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring determined that the financial dealings of the brothers, including a near $12 million transfer to an account under J’s name, constituted a “straightforward cheat” against tax authorities.
A representative from the police described the Tates as “serial” tax evaders, claiming they did not pay taxes on £21 million earned from their online enterprises, which include War Room, Hustlers’ University, Cobra Tate, and OnlyFans, between 2014 and 2022.
In response, Andrew Tate, 38, accused the government of “outright theft,” criticizing the freezing of his accounts and the seizure of his assets. “This is not justice; it’s a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system,” he stated, raising concerns about the government’s efforts to suppress dissent.
In a July hearing, attorney Sarah Clarke referenced a video in which Andrew Tate openly stated, “When I lived in England, I refused to pay tax.” She clarified that J, who remains unnamed due to a court order, was not involved in the brothers’ business operations.
The Tates’ lawyer, Martin Evans, contended that the bank transactions were “entirely orthodox” for entrepreneurs in the online space. He added that while the siblings spent money on “exotic motor cars,” their actions were not illegal.
The case is civil in nature, requiring a lower burden of proof than criminal proceedings. Goldspring had to assess whether there was a balance of probabilities indicating that the Tates had evaded taxes.
Court documents revealed that approximately £2,683,346 (about $3.4 million) is currently held in the seven accounts available for police seizure.
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and dual British-U.S. citizen, boasts over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for allegedly disseminating hate speech and misogynistic remarks.
He and his brother Tristan, 36, are also facing criminal charges in Romania related to human trafficking and establishing a criminal organization to exploit women. They are expected to be extradited to the UK after concluding their Romanian legal battles to face additional accusations of rape and human trafficking.
The Tates have denied all allegations against them.
Source: APNews
