Head of Private Media Group Faces Large Tax Bill
STOCKHOLMBerth Milton, the CEO of international porn production company Private Media Group, has been ordered by the government to pay back taxes from the last 10 years, during which he lived out of the country.The bill could be as high as 650 million kronor ($101 million USD). Sweden’s tax board expects to wait two years for payment on the debt.
Milton, whose father started Private in 1965 in Switzerland, declared in 1989 that he had moved out of Sweden. He claimed to have lived in Barcelona since then and was therefore liable for tax in Spain.
But according to the tax board, his move away from Sweden was less than entirely committed. They claim that Milton still ran his companies in Sweden, did not have a permanent address in Spain, and personally oversaw the redevelopment of his property in Sweden.
Milton’s partner and two children lived in their Värmdö house until 1998 and the businessman had a number of high, end luxury cars registered in Sweden.
The Board of Taxation concluded that for the 10 years after 1989, Milton was still a resident of Sweden. During that time he earned 1.35 billion kronor from Private.
The tax inquiry has been going on for years but a judgment in April in the Supreme Administrative Court finally found against Milton. Tax officials are now waiting on another administrative court judgment to establish exactly what he owes.