The Edge Hits Back At Tax Evasion Claims
Accusations are \"possibly libelous\", says the guitarist
The Edge has responded angrily to an article in the Baltimore Sun earlier this month by US Federal Worker Simon Moroney, who raised concerns about the band's rumoured tax evasion tactics and the support that Bono's ONE charity had received from Senator Ben Cardin
The U2 guitarist personally sent a response letter to the paper that strongly denied that the band had ever evaded paying tax.
He wrote:
"The recent letter to the editor entitled, "Senator Cardin's affection for Bono's foundation is indefensible," (July 7) by Simon Moroney contains so many inaccuracies that it is pointless to attempt to correct them all.
"But the most serious inaccuracy is the totally false and possibly libelous accusation that U2 and Bono have, by moving a part of their business activities to Holland, been involved in tax evasion.
"For the record U2 and the individual band members have a totally clean record with every jurisdiction to which they are required to pay tax and have never been and will never be involved in tax evasion."
"Furthermore, since he is a federal worker, it might interest Mr. Moroney to know that U2 and its members have paid many, many millions of dollars in taxes to the United States Internal Revenue Service over the years."
In a further letter on Tuesday, Moroney sent an apology to U2 and Senator Cardin for his accusations, and instead changed his accusation to one of tax avoidance rather than evasion.