New York Attorney General Laetitia James has sued the famous auction house Sotheby's.
She accused Sotheby's of the fact that the auctioneers using forged documents in 2010-2015 helped the buyer of luxury goods to evade taxes.
According to the prosecutor's office, the buyer, whose name has not yet been disclosed, acquired valuables not as a private person, but as an art dealer, who is exempt from taxes by law.
The buyer of art objects purchased for an impressive amount – $ 27 million – paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, sculptures by the artist Anish Kapoor and other artifacts
“The auction house broke the law and stripped New York of tax payments just to boost its sales,” said Attorney General Laetitia James.
Sotheby's emphatically denies the accusations, calling them unfounded and “unconfirmed by facts or laws.”
“This is a problem between the taxpayer and the state,” Sotheby's said in a statement.
The lawsuit describes an “art dealer” as someone who runs a successful shipping business, enjoys Latin American art, lives outside the US, and has homes around the world, including an apartment in New York.
