Vitor Roque's signing cost Barça more than expected

The signing of Vitor Roque by FC Barcelona not only involved an investment of 30 million euros as a transfer fee. According to the program "Barça Reservat" of Catalunya Ràdio, the azulgrana club also assumed the payment of taxes that corresponded to Athletico Paranaense, raising the total cost of the operation to 40 million.

Internal sources from the Barça sports area have confirmed that the club took over this fiscal surcharge, claiming that it could recover it in the future through a double taxation agreement between Spain and Brazil. However, the legal process required for this return presents risks and offers no absolute guarantees.

Barça paid more than agreed for Vitor Roque

Although the initial agreement set the transfer of Vitor Roque at 30 million euros, FC Barcelona ended up also assuming the taxes derived from the operation. Specifically, the club paid the taxes that Athletico Paranaense had to pay to the Spanish Treasury, an unusual scenario in this type of international signings.

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This additional figure —about 10 million euros— was not contemplated in the first official calculation of the cost of the Brazilian forward. From the club's management, they maintain that this amount can be claimed under the double taxation agreement between both countries. However, to achieve this, it will be necessary to go to court, which introduces uncertainty about its recovery.

Unfavorable legal precedent: the James Rodríguez case

The most similar precedent dates back to 2014, when AS Monaco sold James Rodríguez to Real Madrid. In that case, the Treasury claimed the taxes derived from the operation, and finally the Spanish justice ruled in favor of the Treasury, forcing the Monegasque club to pay the full amount.

This precedent plays against FC Barcelona, as it shows that the Spanish tax authorities could maintain their criteria of imputing these taxes to selling clubs, regardless of the country of origin. If history repeats itself, Barça could see its attempt to recover that surcharge frustrated.

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