A court in the United Kingdom announced on Wednesday that authorities could confiscate over £2.6 million (approximately $3.3 million) from social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan due to several years of unpaid taxes. The Devon and Cornwall Police initiated this legal action to claim the funds which are currently being held in seven frozen bank accounts linked to the Tates and a woman known only as J.
During the proceedings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring stated that the financial activities conducted by the Tates, which included nearly $12 million being transferred into an account belonging to J, were a clear attempt to defraud tax authorities. Goldspring expressed, “I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that they have engaged in long-standing, deliberate conduct in order to evade their tax,” in his decision.
As the legal proceedings are civil in nature, they require a lower threshold of evidence compared to criminal cases. This allowed Goldspring to rule based on what he determined was most likely true concerning the Tates’ tax evasion.
A representative for the police described the brothers as “serial” tax evaders, stating they neglected to pay taxes on a substantial sum of £21 million earned from their various online ventures, which include War Room, Hustlers’ University, Cobra Tate, and OnlyFans, between 2014 and 2022. Andrew Tate, age 38, responded to the court’s actions by accusing the government of “outright theft” for the freezing of his accounts and the seizure of his assets. He characterized the situation as a “coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system,” further commenting that it raised significant questions regarding the extreme measures authorities might take to silence opposition.
In a previous hearing held in July, attorney Sarah Clarke cited a video in which Andrew Tate mentioned his refusal to pay taxes while living in England. She also clarified that J, whose identity remains protected by the court, was not involved in the Tates’ business operations.
The Tates’ legal counsel, Martin Evans, maintained that the bank transactions in question were standard practices for individuals managing online businesses. He noted that while the brothers had spent money on luxury vehicles, their financial conduct did not violate any laws. Court records indicate that approximately £2,683,345.88 (about $3.4 million) resides within the seven accounts that law enforcement is now authorized to seize.
Following the ruling, the Devon and Cornwall Police declared that their aim was to ultimately prove that Andrew and Tristan Tate had engaged in tax evasion and money laundering through bank accounts located in Devon, a region in the southwest of England. They also stated that no further comments would be made until the conclusion of a 28-day appeal period.
Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer with dual citizenship in Britain and the United States, has garnered more than 10 million followers on the social media platform X. He has been banned from TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook due to allegations of disseminating hate speech and making misogynistic remarks. Alongside his 36-year-old brother Tristan, he faces criminal charges in Romania, which include human trafficking and establishing a criminal organization aimed at exploiting women. The brothers are expected to be extradited to the UK to address additional allegations of rape and human trafficking once their Romanian legal issues are resolved.
The Tates have consistently denied all the accusations against them.