They might be amongst the most talented designers in the world, but that doesn’t mean that Dolce & Gabbana can’t be sentenced to gaol. The Italian duo, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, are guilty of tax evasion and will spend 18 months in Italian prison.
The pair (along with their accountant) were charged with tax evasion last June, and despite a lengthy appeal process, have now been officially sentenced to gaol.
However, in Italy, sentences of less than three years are served with house arrest of community service, so Dolce & Gabbana will not have to spend any time in an actual cell.
Despite this, Dolce & Gabbana plan to appeal the ruling for a second time. The case has been going on for a decade now, starting in 2004 when the designers sold their brand to a holding company which they had set up in Luxembourg, allegedly to avoid Italian taxes.
Dolce & Gabbana aren’t the only Italian designers to face legal proceedings due to tax evasion. Prada Holdings has recently settled with tax authorities, and Armani recently paid a $373 million settlement in relation to tax evasion.
Domenico Dolce is currently in Australia promoting the Dolce & Gabbana Collins Street boutique in Melbourne and gave muse Kylie Minogue a private tour of the two-level store.
Image Credit: Zimbio.com
