Former Abba band member Bjorn Ulvaeus has won a legal case against the Swedish tax authorities that will return to him the equivalent of $11.5 million in taxes that he has already paid.
Swedish authorities claimed that Ulvaeus owed personal income taxes on song royalties from 1999 to 2005, but he contended that he had transferred the rights to various companies and that they were responsible for paying the taxes. The government countered that the companies were sham entities controlled by Ulvaeus. The Swedish government has not yet announced whether it will appeal the court decision. In the meantime, Ulvaeus can get back the 85 million kronor that he had earlier paid in taxes.
"I am of course very happy that I have been informed in writing that I have always done the right thing concerning my taxes," Ulvaeus told the Swedish economics magazine Privata Affarer, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Abba songs are featured in the musical "Mamma Mia," which was turned into a movie last year. Ulvaeus wrote the musical with another former Abba member, Benny Andersson. The two also collaborated on an earlier musical, "Chess."
