Spain’s former monarch, Juan Carlos I, has settled a bill for back taxes as reports continue that he is planning a return to the country he ruled for almost forty years.
In a statement released on December 9th 2020, the king’s lawyers said he had paid 678,000 euros. The sum also covered interest and fines. They gave no details on why the back tax was owed. However, in recent days, leading Spanish paper, El Pais, has reported that Juan Carlos wanted to sort out alleged illegal credit card transactions with Spain’s tax service to avoid being charged in an investigation. It could lead to his return to Spain. His lawyers added that he ”remains, as always, at the Tax Service’s disposal” for any inquiries or proecedures.
Juan Carlos and his finances have been under scrutiny for several years and Spain’s Supreme Court has started investigations including one into his links to a high speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia. In March 2020, his son and successor, King Felipe VI, renounced any personal inheritance from Juan Carlos and cut his allowances.
Juan Carlos went into self imposed exile in August this year as allegations of financial impropriety continued to increase and pressure on Spain’s Royal Family intensified. It was later confirmed he had moved to the United Arab Emirates.
