Treasury opened less than a month ago a tax investigation against Zapatero and his family

MadridThe National High Court judge José Luis Calama is not the only one investigating José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The Tax Agency too. A communication sent by the Spanish Treasury to the magistrate reveals that less than a month ago it opened a tax investigation against the former Spanish president and his family. Specifically, the Tax Agency initiated the inspection against Zapatero on June 15 of this year, when he was already indicted in the National High Court for influence peddling, criminal organization, and document forgery and a few days after it opened a separate case for the jewels found in his office. On the same day, another tax investigation was opened against his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa.

The period that the Tax Agency has put under the spotlight is mainly from 2021 to 2024 in relation to income tax and wealth tax returns. It also investigates his VAT payments from the second quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2024. The focus extends to several decades regarding the temporary solidarity tax on large fortunes, which is being reviewed between 2002 and 2024. A few days later, on June 22, the Madrid Tax Agency added the couple's daughters, Laura and Alba Rodríguez Espinosa, to the investigation with a focus on income tax between 2021 and 2024. On June 26, an investigation was launched against his company, What The Fav, in the same period, regarding corporate tax and VAT.

Given the ongoing criminal investigation in the National High Court, the Tax Agency has approached Judge Calama to ask him if this administrative procedure should be halted to avoid overlap and interference with the judicial case. It is the magistrate who must order the halt, according to the Spanish Treasury's filing, which emphasizes that the facts being verified "could depend directly on the facts and conduct being investigated" by Calama. In an order this Friday, the National High Court judge asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to state its position before deciding what to order the Tax Agency.

In parallel, the Tax Agency of the Valencian Community has also informed Calama that it is investigating another of the defendants, Zapatero's friend and alleged straw man, Julio Martínez Martínez. According to the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, it is he who allegedly channeled the irregular payments to Zapatero and his family through a corporate network. The investigation against him began a week later than that of the former Spanish president, on June 23, focusing on personal income tax. In addition, eleven companies, investigated since June 19, have joined the tax investigation. Some of these, such as Voli Analítica or Idella Consulenza, linked to Julio Martínez Martínez, appear in the police reports of the summary of the case being investigated by Calama at the National Court.

The cause of the jewels

In parallel to the case regarding the Plus Ultra bailout, Judge Calama has another investigation underway concerning jewelry worth 1.3 million euros that the UCO found in Zapatero's office. The former Spanish president has not yet testified on this matter nor clarified the origin of the precious metals. Precisely this week, the State Attorney's Office has joined this other case on behalf of the Spanish Tax Agency as a potential victim. In this second procedure, the former president is charged with alleged tax fraud and smuggling.