Did you know?: Dolce and Gabbana face jail for tax evasion!

The pair is on trial with 5 other people including company board member Cristiana Ruella, the designers’ accountant.

Prosecutors in Milan on Wednesday urged a prison term of two years and six months for Italian fashion designer duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana for allegedly dodging around €1 billion in taxes, Italy’s AKI news agency reported.

The pair is on trial with five other people including company board member Cristiana Ruella and the designers’ accountant Luciano Patelli over the tax evasion claims which date back to 2004. Prosecutors reportedly asked for a three-year jail term for Patelli.

Dolce and Gabbana, whose clients include Beyonce and Madonna, deny the charges, AKI said. The report said Dolce and Gabbana allegedly used a Luxembourg-based company in 2004 and 2005, to dodge taxes owed to the Italian state.

The investigation began after a tax inspection of the company between 2007 and 2010.

The designer duo established a consulting studio in 1982 which soon transformed into the brand Dolce & Gabbana. They presented their first collection for women in 1985 in Milan, the same place they opened their first store.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2013.                    

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